“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6
Do you know who you are and why you are here? You are sitting here today on this planet, breathing, seeing, hearing and thinking; occupying space. Have you found the main purpose for your being here? These sound like simple questions but for some people that continue to wait for more delineated directions, they are difficult questions.
All of my lineage came from Germany and I don’t think that 200 years ago my ancestors envisioned me sitting here in Normal, IL writing a devotion for you. Beyond my great-great grandparents, their names are just names from Ancestry.com but are really unknown to me as are their vocations. In one hundred years from today, my legacy too will have all but vanished, but prayerfully somewhere and at some small point along my journey another life will have met Jesus because of a word or action that the Holy Spirit inspired in me and was shared with them.
So, do you know who you are? The children in the attached photo attend Grace Lutheran School which is up in the mountains of the Les Cayes district. Their ancestors came to Haiti on French slave ships in the mid 1700’s. Their ancestors most likely practiced vodou and probably didn’t know that from their lineage would come young Christians who would become missionaries who would share the story of the risen Savior of this world with the lost in Haiti.
Their purpose, your purpose and my purpose here on this side of Heaven is to share the news that our loving Heavenly Father sent His Son into this world to live, suffer and die for us. His blood washed away the sin that we have done. The following lyrics are from a song that played recently on this computer and it explains the meaning of our purpose so well.
“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; what can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my pardon, this I see, nothing but the blood of Jesus; for my cleansing this my plea, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can for sin atone, nothing but the blood of Jesus; naught of good that I have done, nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace, nothing but the blood of Jesus; this is all my righteousness, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Now by this I’ll overcome, nothing but the blood of Jesus; now by this I’ll reach my home, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Glory! Glory! This I sing, nothing but the blood of Jesus. All my praise for this I bring, nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
Because of Him, we are saved, because of Him we have the joy of sharing the message of salvation with the lost in in America, Haiti, Mexico, Germany and to the ends of this planet. Thank you for sharing of your gifts and prayers in the precious time you have been given.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay