ONE DECISION, ONE CHANCE, NO LOST OPPORTUNITIES...

Good morning all-

This week marks a one year anniversary of me listening to God's voice and leaving a job I loved.  I had been in prayer for over 5 months when the Lord started knocking on my heart to trust in Him with every fiber of my being.  I remember plane rides that were so full of prayer and petition wondering could I do what was written on my heart.  Like the ocean tide these thoughts would flood in and wash out and in the quiet I heard the gentle whisper to jump.

One year later, I jumped!  The Lord has provided in a way that astounds me.  The trial was horrendous and at the same time awe inspiring.  I made one decision, I knew I had one chance and I didn't want to lose the opportunity so with courage from the Holy Spirit, I did all that and was blessed.  The time is now. 

Jesus had the same thing happen to Him.  He had a decision, one chance to save the world but it came at a tremendous cost.  He had to give His life for yours and mine.  I wonder how often His mind raced. I wonder how often He heard the wind whisper trust in Me.  I wonder how long some of His nights were as He realized the magnitude of those days leading up to being crucified.  I believe He did.  He knew that His friends would leave Him and that He lived and taught the man that would prove to be the death of Him and yet, He made one decision, took one chance and lost no opportunity to be the Savior of the World.

I was reading last night an article on President Bush.  He paints portraits of men and women that served Him and He knows them by name.  The portrait will be about courage.  Men putting their own lives and limbs on the line for this country and I was in awe.  He cares that He made one decision that changed the course of many.  There's another man that knows the names of His warriors, Jesus Christ.

I don't know what your going through right now but I know that Jesus does.  You might be in a flood, or in a fire.  You might be in the pit of despair or at the brink of death, make one decision, take one chance and call on Jesus.  He is the Savior of this world.  The world will drag you with it but the power of the cross is active and ready to hear your call.  He waits.  How do I know?  Because throughout my adult journey He waited patiently for me to trust Him enough to resign from a job that paid well. Some might think I did it without realization of what I was doing and to them I would say, not a chance.  I did it by walking side by side daily with my Savior. Over time, my relationship got stronger and my trust became deeper.  That relationship has been one of my most valued possessions and even now as I pray for my family, I am using the tools Jesus taught me to stay strong, to pray with unending fervor and believe that He will see His will to the end.

You are worthy to receive the greatest gift your life will ever know.  Trust in what you can't see. Trust that God our Father knows exactly what you need.  Jesus is not some mindless prophet. He is real and He was the Son of God.  He died for you. He loves you and He knows exactly where you are.  You may be able to hide from the world but you can't hide from Him.  If a president knows the name and story of every soldier in a portrait, imagine how much God knows about you.

You have a decision to make.  Choose Jesus.  Choose to trust a God that breathed life into you.  Choose a God that loves you no matter what.  He is here for you now and He will wait for you.  He waited for Peter to get strong enough to lead a church.  He waited for Paul to be blinded and created a man that brought His name to thousands.  He waited for me to trust in Him blindly so that He could do great things.

Don't put Him in a box. Don't put words in His mouth.  Read the Bible and visualize the last days leading up to the cross. He sweated blood and the angels had to minister to Him.  He was scared but in the end He said, Your will.  Not His will which was to escape the horrendous suffering He would undergo but God the Father's will over His.

ONE DECISION, ONE CHANCE, NO LOST OPPORTUNITIES!!!!!

For He rose again just like He said He would and that my sisters is the power of the cross.

Matthew 26:38-40New International Version (NIV)
³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”