Why You and Me Should Press On
What was the day like when Christ made you his own?
For Paul, the story was dramatic. He was on the road to Damascus. He held letters authorizing him to round up Christians and take them, bound, to Jerusalem.
He'd stood by in approval as Stephen was stoned to death. Stephen's claims of seeing heaven, seeing Christ poured fuel on the white hot crowd. As the stones hit hard, Saul stood by. But it was Stephen's forgiveness of the stone-throwers, that stirred his own anger and fueled his hatred. And now, he was hunting Christians.
As he thundered toward Damascus anticipating an easy capture, a light flashed from heaven knocking Saul to the ground. "Saul, why are you hunting me down?"
Saul scrambled. Horses reared and screamed. The men accompanying him grabbed the reins in the confusion. They saw the light, but all they really saw was chaos.
"Saul, why are you hunting me down?"
"Lord, who are you?"
From heaven, out of the flash of light, and in the midst of hooves pawing, men clutching, and dust flying, Saul was apprehended by Christ.
"I am Jesus, the one you are hunting."
And then it was over. No light. No voice. But Saul was blind. For three days as he sat in darkness, not eating, not drinking. Thinking.
He thought about what he had done. He thought about what he had planned to do. He was undone.
Ananias appeared at the house where Saul sat blind and silent, and knelt before him. "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road … He sent me to you so that you can see again. And he wants you to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he could see. He looked into Ananias' eyes. "Baptize me," Saul said.
Saul was apprehended by Christ.
The day that Jesus made me his own was not nearly as dramatic. But, in a way it was. Because, just like Saul, I was clothed in self-denial and going my own way. I was a dressed-up good girl who had to come face-to-face with the fact that I needed a Savior.
Over the course of several months, my good-girl veneer wore thin. When I heard the story of Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection, I was ready.
I was apprehended by Christ. Christ made me his own.
Because Christ has made me his own, I press on. Everything is loss, rubbish in fact, compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus.
Like Paul, I am nowhere near arrived, and neither are you. But you and me, together we can press on. We can join hands and press on to become the women God created us to be.
- Because we've been apprehended by Christ.
- Because he's made us his own.
- Because he met us on our own road to Damascus and stopped us in our tracks…
Because Christ reached down for us, pulling us out of the miry pit, we can reach up and keep reaching up for him. We can press on.
You may have doubts today. You may wonder if Jesus is real, if he's really there. If this is you, look back and remember when Christ made you his own. And choose to press on.
Do you remember the day Christ made you his own? Or was it more a gradual process, a growing understanding of your need for a Savior? Leave a comment and tell us about it!
If you are thinking that today might be the day that Christ wants to make you his own, would you email me right away? I'd love to talk with you, to pray with you. Here's my email address - cynthiafin@gmail.com.
You've landed Riverside! Each weekday we're gathering here, like Lydia and her girlfriends. We're walking verse-by-verse through the book of Philippians expecting to encounter Jesus. If you want to be sure and get every post, subscribe by putting your email address in the little box up-and-to-the-right.
Were you with me at the Women's Getaway at Eagle's Eyrie this weekend? What a fantastic time! I was SO blessed! Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite part of the weekend. You all were SO MUCH FUN!