Never Quite Sure

“People around me in church…they are probably OK with the Lord…“  

‘And you think you are not?’

“I don’t really know…sometimes in church, when we sing these special hymns, yes, then I feel something...”

‘But through the week, you don’t?’

“Well, mostly not. Sometimes when I go to bed and look back on the day, I realize I have not thought of the Lord much...”

’And then you find it hard to pray?’

“I guess, yes…there are believers who really walk with the Lord, they are really in His company; if I had that I would know that my evening prayer would be good.”

‘And now you think you don’t walk with the Lord?’

“Yes, I talk to the Lord, but it’s so fleeting, just bits and pieces, and I am ashamed…this Holy God…”

‘So suppose here is your little son, all concentrating on his playing, but then he tells you a little something…that’s good, don’t you think?’

“But that’s not the same. He and I, we are close, I am his father, his dad, that’s real. But me and God…that’s different.”

‘In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to say, Our Father who art in heaven…'

“If you knew all my weaknesses, if you could see everything that spooks around in me…sometimes I have this horrible thought…that there is no God, no heaven, no eternity, just this life and that is all…” 

‘Yes, God sees your heart and knows your thoughts, but they are all covered with Christ’ righteousness.’

“I guess I will keep trying…”

‘You don’t gain His favor by trying. His favor rests upon you always because of Jesus.’

“So that would be the end of my uncertainty…?”

‘It might well be…but the joy of believers is not that doubt has been overcome but that they know themselves accepted by God through Jesus… you can take Him on His word…’’ 

“Yes, but you see, I hardly ever witness for Jesus.”

‘Christ has invited His followers to witness for Him. But your whole station in life is a witness. Your identity is a witness. Your life in Him is a witness. Your daily work is witness. In the meantime, you will surprise yourself one day and speak a word on His behalf to someone. Christ will help you. He will not disown you for whatever weakness…’

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 
(2 Thess. 2:16 & 17)