The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
Opportunity Lost
Francis Ridley Havergal (1836-1879), a prolific Christian writer, poet, and hymn lyricist, remains well-known among Christians for songs like “Take My Life and Let It Be” and books like Kept for the Master’s Use that continue to be in print today. During the summer after she finished school, some girls sometimes came to her house for an hour of hymn singing. With this group she focused on the musical aspects of the songs and only occasionally talked timidly about the words. Some years later she learned that one of them had frequently lingered on the way out, hoping Miss Havergal would talk to her about Jesus whom she longed to know. The woman did come to know Jesus as her Savior later in her life, but Miss Havergal missed the privilege and joy of being the one to show her the way. God used someone else to give this thirsty soul the Living Water of His Word. (from Opened Treasures, compiled by William J. Pell and published by Loiseaux Brothers in 1962)
I recently missed an opportunity to share the gospel with a chance acquaintance and I deeply mourn the loss forever of being the bearer of God’s Good News to that person. I can never get that moment back. At the same time I have caught myself wasting much energy rehearsing in my mind what I would have said if I had recognized the opening for what it was. Not only did I grieve God with my inattention, but also with my afterthoughts on the subject, trying to train myself with the words for the next time.
The Bible makes it clear that we are not to prepare words for those moments. Instead our focus needs to be on our direct and consistent relationship with God from whom we receive direction for times like that. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to “… sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”
Philippians 1:20 shows us our source of sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts: “…my earnest expectation and my hope [is] that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.” The outcome is found in Ephesians 3:7-12, where Paul humbly describes his calling in terms of a privilege and a gift of God’s grace given to him to “preach the unsearchable riches of God” to the Gentiles and to show both Jews and Gentiles “the fellowship of the mystery” (vss. 7-9). What is this mystery? It is, in part, God’s manifold wisdom (vs. 10). The God-ordained time, “according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vs. 11), had come in Paul’s (the writer of Ephesians) day for the mystery to be revealed to the angels using the church as the object lesson (vs. 10).
The church, all believers, continues to be an object lesson for the “principalities and powers in heavenly places” that are described in this passage. “In [Christ Jesus our Lord] we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him” (vs. 12). Our boldness and access described here is, by faith, reverently and fearlessly entering God’s presence with the knowledge of His loving welcome. Our boldness, reverent and fearless, to tell people about Him comes from that habitual communion with our Lord Jesus Christ.
The prayer found in Acts 4:29 states the plea of my heart today: “…grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.”
Update/Prayer Request: Sixty days from now, Dan will be retiring. Yes he is counting down! He deals with continuous fatigue resulting from a combination of recycled air in his office and cumulative infusion side-effects. Please pray for strength for him and wisdom for us both as we talk to medical personnel and insurance companies.
