Where Would We Be?

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:12-13 NLT

Think back over your life before Christ. What were you in to? Where were you headed? What was threatening to pull you under? Over and over, maybe with no hope of getting out of the circumstances you were in... Have you ever wondered where you would be if Jesus hadn't come into your life? I know I would be dead.

I think it's necessary to remember where we were so that we'll remember to give thanks for our deliverance, our salvation, our future and hope, according to His Word. And then remember all the things He has brought you through - and give Him praise. Thank Him again. He's worthy!

According to our Promise for Today, You [we] lived in this world without God and without hope. I know I did. It was awful. Indescribably awful. Maybe you're there now. Without God. Without hope in your life. I don't know anything worse than living in a state of hopelessness. 

The Good News is you don't have to stay there. There IS a way out. It's Jesus. He tells us in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth and the life! Ask Him to be Your Lord and Savior. 

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for all of our sin by dying on the Cross at Calvary. We believe He rose again on the third day, forever defeating the work of the devil in our lives. Thank You for having a plan for each of us and for promising to always be with us. Thank You for our future and our hope. We are so grateful! Thank You for letting us see where we would be without You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

God Knows

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."  And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel..."

Acts 9:10-15 NASB

Our text follows the account of Saul's - who later became Paul - Damascus road experience where he was blinded by the light of his encounter with Christ while Saul/Paul was on a mission to imprison every follower of Christ. I find it extremely amusing that he winds up on a street called Straight, that he had to have help to find...

Ananias answers immediately when God calls him, but then starts to argue, giving God all the reasons why he shouldn't do what God has asked. Do You know who this guy is? 
Do You realize what he did to Your saints in Jerusalem?  
Do you know he has the authority... 
Have you checked his credentials? 
Have you done a thorough background check on him?
 ...You're sending me to this guy?"   
And God's immediate response is "Go! I have chosen him..." And he sets Ananias on course to a street called Straight.

We do the same thing today. We want to tell God all the reasons why we can't do something He's called us to DO. God already knows. He's the One who intercepted you on that road with all the twists and bends, and now He's leading you to the one called Straight. 

Go. God knows where.

Prayer:

Father,

        Forgive our finite minds that cannot believe You could use something or someone less than perfect. Make our hearts obedient to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen