"If"

“If” is not the issue,

The question is just when,

You find yourself in need of,

God’s grace to take you in.

And He will let you wander,

Wherever you will go,

But He is still there for you,

And wants you to know,

No matter if the valley,

Is dark and very deep,

Or if the mount you’re climbing,

Has gotten way too steep,

He knows your deepest longing,

He sees the tears you cry,

He feels how you’ve been injured,

He knows the reasons why.

And, yes, you’ve had your moments,

When everything went right,

And times for which you’re thankful,

Full of love and light.

But life is such a mixed bag,

And trouble dogs you down,

And you just can’t escape it,

When it comes around.

You have fought some battles,

That you should not alone,

And bottom line the answer,

Is finding your way home.

A heart-beat and a whisper,

A prayer said true and plain,

Will bring you to the moment,

You hear Him call your name.

And offer you forgiveness,

For everything, you see,

And give you His own presence,

So that your life can be,

All that He has destined,

And authentically it’s you,

By grace to find your healing,

And the mission you can do.

“If” is not the issue,

The question is just when,

Don’t just keep on running,

Come home, be born again.

“For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever…” (1 Peter 1:23, NLT)

Being born again is misunderstood by many people. Biblically defined, it’s the beginning of the new life God wants to give all of us through Jesus Christ. Jesus notably said it was a non-negotiable for seeing and entering God’s Kingdom. Peter described it as an experience that is brought about through the eternal, living word of God, and in these verses contrasts that with the fading beauty of our temporal, earthly lives. Bottom line? Being born spiritually is simply a way of describing how life in the Spirit begins, and happens when we turn to Jesus Christ in true faith and are willing to change. He does a work in us that otherwise is impossible, and the changes then come from the inside-out. It’s the greatest miracle we can experience and do not want to miss.

Lord, do that work in our hearts that only You can do, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bill Anton, billantonstudios.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bill, and God bless you.