Daily Devotional for Thursday February 21, 2002

Your Life can Change in a Split Second

(James 4:14; Matthew 7:24-27)

One of the things I dread most each day are the emails we receive daily of tragedy striking people's lives. Never a day goes by that we don't get many emails from people who have recently experienced life-changing events, situations that took the life they were living and turned it upside down. People write us daily of how they came home, and their husband or wife decided they wanted a divorce. We get many from people who have been involved in automobile accidents where they or a loved one were injured. Some tell us how a spouse, child, or family member died without any warning. There have been numerous emails of people losing all of their money in the recent downturn of the stock market. Never a day goes by that we don't get people emailing us for prayer because they have lost their job. There are always some emails that tell of a visit to the doctor and a report of serious illness. For these people and those like them, they were living their life with the same ups and downs we all face, and in a split second, their lives were turned upside down.

The key lesson I want you to take away today is that we should NEVER take for granted what we have. All we have is a gift from God. We must realize that anything we have in this life is temporary anyway. The people we have in our lives, the places we live, the jobs we do, the resources we have are all temporary. They can change in a moment's notice. One dear brother and sister in England that have been part of Liveprayer almost since day one, operate a large farm. They have watched 70 years of hard work by their family destroyed overnight by the terrible problem they had in that country with diseased animals. One day, one minute, one second our life can be one way, and in a split second it can be changed. The uncertainty of life is all the more reason why we need to cling to our daily walk with Christ. That time with Him in prayer, in the Word, just fellowshipping, helps us to keep our focus on the big picture, so that no matter how the winds of life may blow, we are anchored on the Rock.

I do not mean to scare you today, or try to intimidate you in any way into getting more serious about your walk with Jesus. I am simply trying to point out that so often we get comfortable in our life. We begin to take the blessings of God for granted. We get apathetic about the things that go on around us. In that process, we let our guard down and forget how dependent upon the Lord we really are. We forget that without Him, "we can do nothing"!!! We lose sight of the fact that He, not we, are in control of the things that go on around us. The storms of life can happen at any moment and without warning. It is imperative that we always be prepared not in a paranoid sense of waiting for bad things to happen, but prepared spiritually, knowing that no matter what happens, God is still on the throne. He is always in total control. He permits and allows the things that happen to us happen. The logical question is why? The only legitimate answer is nobody knows but God. That is where our faith must become real. We must trust Him that no matter what, He has His plan and purpose at work, and it is our job to exercise our faith and trust in Him at all times.

For those of you today that have had major, life-changing experiences recently, let me encourage you. The same God who has walked with you in the past, is the same God who will walk with you today. The same God that has delivered you from trouble before, is the same God who will deliver you from trouble today. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Now is the time to press into Him. Get closer to the Lord than ever before. He is our only refuge in times of trouble. His promises are true, and He will not leave you nor forsake you. His love is real and unconditional. I will be praying today for you to open your hearts and receive all He has for you this day, as you walk through the valley and back onto the mountaintop.

I love you and care about you very much. It hurts me so much to read of the pain and heartache in so many lives each day. But Jesus warned His disciples just hours before going to the cross, that in this world they would have tribulation. He then encouraged them by telling them to "be of good cheer, for I have overcome this world." Amen! What a promise! That means no matter what you are facing in your life today, Christ has overcome that circumstance or situation. He has already won the victory. You can't lose no matter what it may look like, if you are with Jesus. He will ALWAYS have the final word in every situation. Never forget, if you have accepted Jesus Christ into your life by faith, the Bible says that it is no longer your life any longer. It belongs to Him. So be prepared. Know that change can come at any second. Know that the unexpected will happen. Do not fear it, but embrace it, since it is all part of God's plan. After all, our life is a life of service to our King. Our plans may not be His. Our desires may not always be His. We need to be spiritually mature enough to pray as our Lord taught us, "not my will, but thy will be done."