“Now My heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!” John 12:27-28
Two blind men moved down the boulevard. One groped along, his face twisted in dread, hand outstretched in wild motions of search, feet shuffling, and white cane tapping in wild exploration. The other man strode along, his white cane tapping lightly before him as he went. His head was held high.
One walker and one groper. It is true, the walker may stumble and get bruised. He may carry a scar from having bumped into a table a day or so ago; he may do so again. But he will keep on going. If he trips on a broken sidewalk, he will stand up and continue. But the groper, afraid of the unknown, with so many questions and reservations, will not move far. He can, at best, only shuffle along. For both of them, the darkness is alike. Neither can see what lies ahead. But the difference in the lives they lead . . . oh, what a difference.
All of us in this world, believers and unbelievers alike, are blind. None of us knows what is in front of us or what tomorrow will bring. But some of us, with Jesus as our Savior, are able to live life rather than just endure it. Christians are not given the ability to know the future, but they do know their Lord is in control. They know God, who loves them so much He was willing to sacrifice His Son, is not going to desert them. They worship a Lord who is not going to change His mind and one morning, without warning, decide to make their existence miserable.
Christians, unlike the rest of the world, know they are in the hands of a loving Father. True, they may not always understand why He allows things to happen to them; they may not always be able to figure out where He is leading them; but they know His hand is a loving hand.
Because Christians have a Savior who gave His all so they might have all, they know that when they are afraid, His arms are the place to which they can run. When things seem dark and dreary, Jesus’ presence is what they seek so they might have a new light for their path. When they are sad, He may not always take away the reason for the sadness, but they are sure He will comfort them by helping them carry their pain. The knowledge that “God is love” makes all the difference in how Christians walk into their unknown tomorrows.
Excerpt from The Lutheran Hour sermon preached on April 6, 2003
THE PRAYER: Gracious Lord, may the power of Your Holy Spirit guide and direct me to serve you in your Kingdom today. Thank you for guiding me as I walk into my unknown tomorrows. Amen.
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 123-125 2 Thessalonians 3
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"