Like a Shower After a Hot Summer Day of Work
At times in our lives,
- Sometimes God brings people into our lives for a short season.
- Sometimes God brings people into our lives (even for a small bit of time), and the impact they make lasts until our final breath.
- Sometimes God brings people into our lives, and He has placed us there (in their lives) to make a difference—for HIM!
Today, let us consider our moment of salvation. Pause, take a look back over your shoulder; see what the Lord has saved you from!
To help us see, let us look at the thirty-second Psalm of David. Please walk over to your copy of God’s Word so that we can read this psalm together.
Are we ready?
“How blessed is he whose
(Psalm 32: 1-2 NASB)
wrongdoing is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
How blessed is a person whose guilt
the LORD does not take into account,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!”
Blessed.
Forgiven.
Covered.
Not Guilty.
No Deception.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is NOT a one-time event.
- By the blood of Jesus, God saved our soul—on that day we believed in & accepted Jesus into our heart.
- By the blood of Jesus, God continually saves our soul—daily. &
- By the blood of Jesus, God will continue to save our soul—until He comes to take us home to heaven.
On & On & On & On & On & On & On & On & . . .
Who do we know WHO DOES NOT YET KNOW JESUS AS SAVIOR?
If that person were to ask: Why do you have HOPE?
What are we hoping God will do?
Where have we placed our HOPE?
- Do we LOVE THIS PERSON?
- Do we REALLY LOVE THIS PERSON?
- Has God gently nudged you through His Holy Spirit to speak Jesus to them?
If so, then for a fact: We have responded!
We have said (to God), “Yes, Lord” OR
We have said (to our Father), “No, Lord, not today, not now. It just doesn’t feel like the right time.”
- Love is telling someone “The Truth about God!”
- Love is telling someone “The Truth about God, even if the person turns his back on us and walks away from us!”
Let us see what the Bible says about our sinful state, about how we looked BEFORE we knew the sweet salvation of Almighty God. Please pick up your copy of God’s Word again so we can read this psalm together.
Are we ready?
“When I kept silent about my
(Psalm 32: 3-4 NASB)
sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand
was heavy upon me;
My vitality failed as with the
dry heat of summer. Selah”
Do we remember?
- Do we recall how we felt inside our being when we experienced the conviction of God’s Holy Spirit?
- Have we forgotten the oppressive feeling, as if our heart was so heavy inside our chest?
Maybe we were afraid!
- Yes, maybe we did not want to go to bed because we knew the fear that awaited us there—in our beds.
- Possibly, we might have wondered: God, if I die tonight while I sleep, will I really go to hell?
FEAR!
PENETRATING FEAR!
CRIPPLING FEAR!
God’s authority does not leave us when He calls us to something!
- If God tells us to speak to someone about Jesus—
- If God tells us to go to a place for Jesus’ sake—
- If God tells us to do a task that just seems uncomfortable—
- If God tells us to leave something and go to something new—
If God . . .
Whatever the Holy Spirit of God speaks to us—WE ARE TO OBEY!
My Fear & Your Fear—It Has No Place When We Are Standing In God’s Love!
- What is a skill only you can do—one that God is calling you to do?
- Who is a person only you can speak to—one who God is calling you to speak with today?
- Where is a place only you can go—one that God is calling you to go & one where we will need to trust Him to walk us to & through this place?
At this juncture, please do not believe the ramblings of me but believe only the Word of God. Please pick up your Bible (yes again)& let us read this Scripture together.
Are we ready?
“I acknowledged my sin to You,
(Psalm 32: 5-6a NASB)
And I did not hide my guilt;
I said, “I will confess my
wrongdoings to the LORD”,
And You forgave the guilt
of my sin.
Therefore, let everyone who is
godly pray to You in a time
when You may be found; . . .”
God’s Cleansing!
Like a Shower After a Hot Summer Day of Work!
A wonderful melody recounts exactly what our LORD does!
“Jesus.
Jesus.
What a friend we have in Jesus.
Jesus.
There is healing in Jesus.
So much freedom in Jesus.
Salvation in Jesus.
Oh, how I love You.
Jesus.
So we sing, “Praise to the Father Who gave us the Son.
Praise to the Spirit who’s livin’ in us.
When I was a sinner, He saved me from who I was.
Cause that’s what Jesus does.”
“Jesus Does” by We The Kingdom
God has placed people in our lives for a reason. Even though it is totally possible for God to use accidental encounters, I truly don’t believe He allows our lives to be lived as chance encounters. Instead, I believe God places people into our life-paths ON PURPOSE.
- Do we remember the day we believed in JESUS and accepted GOD’S salvation?
- Can we recall the details: the way we feared, the way we felt, both before and after JESUS came into our heart?
- Should we allow ourselves to dwell there, remembering just exactly what led us to SEE JESUS with clarity?
“So they were saying to him,
(John 9: 10-11 NASB)
“How then were your eyes opened?
He answered,
[The faithful, obedient servant of God said]
“The man who is called Jesus made mud, and spread it on my eyes, and said to me,
[JESUS CHRIST ANSWERED! JESUS, THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD SAID]
‘Go to Siloam and wash’ ;
so I went away and washed, and I received sight.”
As we are walking with God through life, as we are talking daily with Him, as we go, the Holy Spirit reveals those people He would like for us to walk along beside.
As we chat with them, as we both go—We talk with them & We share JESUS.
It is a truth: People face life-challenges, even us.
- So we must ask ourselves: Who has God placed in our lives for a season, who needs our spiritual guidance? &
- Who has God placed in my life for a season who can provide me spiritual guidance?
- Everyone goes through seasons of life!
- Everyone!
Quite assuredly, God has placed us specifically where we can be a blessing to another person—&—God has placed us specifically here where they can be a blessing to us!
“Therefore, let everyone who is
(Psalm 32: 6a NASB)
godly pray to You in a time
when You may be found; . . .”
“Lord, I trust You.
I have my eyes on You.
Jesus, You center me.
Jesus, I know You did not save me and then walk away from me.
Jesus, I trust that You will guide me continually.
Jesus, I know You have a work for me to do, one You have planned just for my life.
Jesus, I do not always understand the full life-plan You have for me, and sometimes Lord, I know You allow my situations, my health, my trials to jar me awake, to re-focus my eyes upon You. Jesus, I also know that You can use the peaceful times of my life to push me, to nudge me into the direction You want me to go.
God, I know You have a plan for my life.
God, I trust You will walk me to & through that plan.
I know & I trust that YOU ALONE will show me the way.
Lord, I am ready!”