There is a song, a beautiful melodious rendition of words that touch our hearts when we listen closely to the words.

Please pause and find the song “Offering” by Third Day.

Please Listen.

Maybe Listen Twice.

I did.

Then I copied down the chorus.

“This is my offering Dear Lord.

This is my offering to You God.

And I give my life, for it’s all I have to give.

Because You gave Your life for me.”

I read about a young married couple who came to know Christ as Savior.  Someone asked them, “How did you come to believe?”

“Well,” the husband replied, “we have some neighbors (Tim and Julie) who lost so much last year.”

The writing continues to record how Tim lost his job due to company cutbacks, how life became hard for them.

Their neighbors (this young, married couple—the new Christians) watched Tim & Julie, saw them day-by-day NOT FALL APART.

Instead, this young couple saw Tim and Julie continue on—never losing their JOY, their PEACE, and their CONFIDENCE, knowing that GOD WOULD PROVIDE for all their needs.

The young, married couple saw Tim & Julie continued to trust God, even through their hardship, and they saw a POWER they did not have. So, they asked Tim and Julie.

Are we suffering today?

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

(2 Corinthians 12: 9)

Are we in pain today?

“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God . . . .”

(Romans 8: 28)

Are we experiencing unrelenting hardships?

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4: 6-4-7)

Are we drowning in grief, in loss, and swallowed up in despair?

Jesus Christ is our life.  Let the world see that truth!

No one enjoys hard times.  No one!

No one desires, wishes for, or wants to suffer.  No one!

No one prays, “God, give me MORE than I can handle.”  No one does that!

No one accepts suffering without asking, “Lord, why me?”  Yes, No one does!

Nevertheless, people suffer.

Nevertheless, people suffer every day.

Nevertheless, people suffer every day and run away from the peace of God—OR—

People suffer and then they run toward the peace of God.

Thank God, we have a teacher, a peace maker, a Prince of Peace living inside us. &

Thank God, we have been given the Holy Spirit of God when we first believed.

We have received an offering—unmeasurable & undeniable & surpassing all our need.

Thank YOU GOD for YOU!

See with me this truth found in God’s Word.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But a natural man [the one who does not believe God] does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him;  and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

But he who is spiritual [the Christian; the believer] appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM?

But we have the mind of Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 2: 12-16)

Thank You, Jesus, for offering Your life upon the cross of Calvary.

Thank You, Jesus, for offering Your life so at our death, we may continue to live in You.

Thank You, Jesus, for offering Your life so that we don’t have to.

Thank You, Jesus, for Your most wonderful offering of GRACE & MERCY.

Thank You, Jesus.

Thank You, God, for Your indwelling Holy Spirit.

Thank You, God, for Your indwelling Holy Spirit alive & working inside us & leading us to walk by faith.

Thank You, God.

The Bible tells us that our Faith reveals the reality of what we hope for & the evidence of things the world cannot see.

The Bible tells us that our Faith is our testimony to the world of WHO is alive in us.

Everyone wants to believe in something.  In fact, everyone does believe in some-thing.

The worker walks out to his vehicle, hoping & believing it will start today, allowing him to go to work, to provide for his family.  It’s always started, so why would he not believe it will start today when he turns over the ignition?!

The customer sits in the booth, hoping & believing the chef will prepare edible food, not poisonous food, when the plate of food is placed before him to consume.  The customer has never been poisoned before when eating at a restaurant, so why would he not believe his food will be edible today when he places the food in his mouth?!

The question is not IF we believe; the question is—In WHOM do we believe?

Everyone believes in something.

The question is not just—IF we believe in God.

The question is—DO WE BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD?

The great theologian Martin Luther wrote:  “Faith is the ‘yes’ of the heart, a conviction on which one stakes one’s life.”

“Faith.

Hope.

Love.

“The greatest of these is love.”

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him [in Jesus] shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

(John 3: 16)

“This is my offering Dear Lord.

This is my offering to You God.

And I give my life, for it’s all I have to give.

Because You gave Your life for me.”— “Offering” by Third Day

At the beginning, there was a story of a young, married couple, and thirty-six years ago, today, we were once a young, married couple.  Happy Anniversary, Darrell.

We have faced many struggles—job changes, military deployments, years of childlessness, injuries and surgery, hospital stays, and separations for months on end.

But God has sustained us, has walked with us through the struggles by His Holy Spirit..

God has held us up when we felt we would fall and has provided His peace when our world seemed to crumble around us..

God has molded us into one, even when we felt as if we were fracturing apart.

Yes, God OFFERED HIS PEACE, HIS JOY, & HIS SUSTAINING LOVE—EVERY STEP of our life-journey.

Thus, may we look at the world around us and ask:  “LORD, what would You ask of me on this day?”

May we look at our neighborhood and see who may be observing us as we walk our faith-journey.

May we see our situations of suffering, not as opportunities to complain, but as gifts when we can raise our hands and praise God.

May we not be filled with anxiety & worry & despair, but may we live, showing the world WHO LIVES WITHIN US!

For the Bible promises us & we need to fully BELIEVE in God’s promises.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.  The Lord is near.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4: 6-4-7)