Good Words for Today: January 10

Somewhere I read about a missionary who returned home after a lifetime difficult spent serving Christ in a faraway land. He was old and worn down from many years of toil. When someone asked if he regretted how he had spent his life, he said, “Oh no. I settled that long ago.” Then he told this story. As a young man, he had struggled mightily with surrendering his life to God. He told God he would serve him but only if certain conditions were met. But that gave him no peace of heart. Finally after many days spent wrestling with the Lord, he finally came to a point of full surrender. Taking a blank sheet of paper, he signed his name on the bottom and said, “Lord, you fill in the details.” Everything else in his life flowed from that commitment. Many of us are unhappy because we’re trying to bargain with God. When will he learn that he doesn’t make deals? We would all be happier if we simply signed on the bottom line and said, “Lord, you fill in the details.”

January 10, 2017