A Reminder of Mercy

Recently I have been reminded of how merciful God is to us. Recently I was invovled in a minor car crash and i guess you could say that it woke me up and reminded me of God's love and mercy He bestows on us. It could of been a lot worse, people could have been hurt or worse, and it just could have been a lot messier then it was. No one was hurt and I was just pretty shaken up. Technically I am the one at fault and I basically ran the red light (it was yellow when i was approaching it and I didn't double think it like I should have).
As I found myself thinking these thoughts, I was reminded of something Corrie ten Boom's sister Betsy said after shrapnel came through Corrie's bedroom when they were down having tea downstairs. She told Corrie that there are NO what ifs in God's world. He is in control and He has a plan and a purpose in everything that happens. Jeremiah 29:11 says: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'plans to prosper and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.'"
In reality, we do not know our last moment might be. I had just come from the veterinary hospital where I intern at and had just been with my friends there and all of a sudden it could have been very different. We do not know when our time may come and that is why it is SO important to be ready and be beliving in Him. Because when he calls, we must answer.It saddens my heart that so many people are not ready when they die and they think they are alright on their own. We can do NOTHING on our own. Only Christ can save us and it by His blood and His sacrifice that we are saved. Our works will do nothing to get us into heaven and yet so many people think that this is the case and are in bondage to that belief. Oh how I long to see everyone, especially my unsaved loved ones, come to faith in Christ Jesus. 
So all in all, I was reminded of God's mercy that He shows to us even though we don't deserve it at all. 
The song below is an all time favorite of mine and it talks about how we have done nothing to deserve Christ's love and yet He gives it to us anyway simply because He LOVES US!

One thing that we all struggle with is focusing on Christ. This world is full of so many distractions and it is easy for us to give into them and lose sight of God. Sometimes my thoughts are so consumed with: "When's this show going to be on?" or  "I really want to get this!" or I won't make time to just sit and read my Bible (I still need to do that). I had begun to lose focus and that scared me a little bit . I know I need to keep my eyes fixed on Christ and his kingdom.
I look around and see so many people who love life and all this world has to offer us. People are so obsessed with electonics, movies, work, relationships and life. They try and fill the void in their hearts with that, but the only thing that will fill that void is Christ. So many people pass by and i can't help but wonder what their spiritual state is. Once when I was at Hershey Park, my friend Catriona voiced this thought. It really did make me think. 
 Hebrews 12:1-2 says: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith" (NIV).  
We truly do need to be bold. We are given opportunities to share Christ and we mustn't let them pass us by. Later on, we may regret it...i know this feeling too. 
One of my desires is to be used by God in my life and i want to be bold for him. I want to shout out from the roof tops! 

Learning to Be Bold

I just finished a marvelous christian novel called: A Voice in the Wind. It was written by the author Francine Rivers who definitely has the gift of writing. The setting of this tale is in Rome during the persecution of Christians, just after Jesus' death and resurrection.
The story follows the journey of a Jewish slave girl named Hadassah who is a Christian. She serves a Roman family after she is taken from Jerusalem during its conquest and destruction. What really struck me is how Hadassah PRAYED for her masters. She goes  out into the gardens at night and pleads with God to redeem them. We see Hadassah heartbroken over the sins of her Mistress Julia and just pleading and asking for her and her family to come to know God. She prays without ceasing and knows that God is with her and will never leave her.
This made me realize that I need to be in constant and consistent prayer for my loved ones that don't know God and are far from him.
Another thing we see in the book is Hadassah staying true to God's teaching that we are not to be yoked to an unbeliever. She and Marcus, the son of the family she serves, fall in love and when Marcus asks her to marry him at the end of the book, she says no even though she wishes with all her being that she could be with him. When Marcus pressures her to give herself to him out of wedlock, she says no even though he pressures her on several different occasions. Hadassah's behavior is exemplary for us and she stands firm and isn't afraid to be bold in her faith even though it leads her to the Colosseum and the mouth of the lions.
In Romans 8:28 it says: "And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose" (NIV). We can truly see this working through the life of the main character in the novel.
At every chance she has, she shares Christ and his message with her masters. I realized that I need to be bold in sharing the Gospel more then I am now. We live a country when we have the freedom to share Christ and don't have to be afraid about being dragged off to the Colosseum to be fed to the lions. We need to take advantage of the freedom and boldly speak and proclaim Christ and his name. I think that people get worried about losing friends, what other people will think about them, and in some countries...even being put in jail or killed. We need to overcome the fears we have and do as Christ commanded.
2 Timothy 1:7 says: " For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (NIV).  
 I would say this book definitely had an impact on me and i learned some very important lessons that i can apply to my walk with Christ Jesus.