April 4, 2022 8:00 pm
As a teenager, Charles Spurgeon wrestled with God. He'd grown up going to church, but what was preached seemed bland and meaningless. God was a struggle for him, and Charles, in his own words “rebelled and revolted.” One night a fierce snowstorm forced the sixteen-year-old Spurgeon to seek shelter in a tiny Methodist church. The pastor's sermon seemed directed at him personally. In that moment, God won the wrestling match, and Charles gave his heart to Jesus.
Spurgeon later wrote, “long before I began with Christ, He began with me.” In fact, our life with God doesn’t begin with the moment of salvation. The Psalmist notes that God “created our inmost being, having been knit together in our mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). The apostle Paul writes, “Even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace” (Galatians 1:15, NLT). And God doesn’t stop working with us when we’re saved: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6).
We’re all works-in-progress in the hands of a loving God. He leads us through our rebellious wrestling and into His warm embrace. But His purpose with us then is only beginning. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him” (Philippians 2:13, NLT). Rest assured, we are His good work regardless of how old we are or what stage of life we’re in.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
The reading for today titled A Good Work was written by Kenneth Peterson. One night, a fierce snowstorm forced the 16-year-old Spurgeon to seek shelter in a tiny Methodist church. The pastor's sermon seemed directed at him personally. In that moment, God won the wrestling match, and Charles gave his heart to Jesus. Spurgeon later wrote, In fact, our life with God doesn't begin with the moment of salvation. The psalmist notes that God created our inmost being, knitting us together in our mother's womb. The apostle Paul writes in Galatians, He leads us through our rebellious wrestling and into his warm embrace, but his purpose with us then is only beginning. Philippians 2-13 says, Rest assured, we're his good work regardless of how old we are or what stage of life we're in.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Psalm 139 verses 13 through 24. For you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful.
I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. If only you, God, would slay the wicked. Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty, they speak of you with evil intent. Your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them. I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Let's pray. Loving God, your loving care for us from the moment of our birth overwhelms us with gratitude. Would you help us to respond to your ongoing work in our lives? And remember that you are doing the same in the lives of others who seem to be beyond your reach. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-05-11 22:07:29 / 2023-05-11 22:09:00 / 2
