Hugh Odneal, Jefferson City
Dear Editor,
Thanksgiving is past for another year, as is Black Friday. But when I focus on Jesus, Thanksgiving is every day. From yesterday's Stand Firm devotional, "We need Jesus all the time."
In 1872, Anne Sherwood wrote the hymn, "I Need Thee Every Hour." She wrote it as she went about her daily activities and felt a sense of nearness to her master, Jesus. And this hymn is still sung today, 150 years later.
And then there is the hymn, "Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow" that gives us the courage to face whatever Satan puts in our way. In Job 2:9, his wife tells him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" Job replied to her, "Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
God is not the cause of our pain, but he will be with all those born again into God's family through all their pain and suffering and as our reward, eternal life with him on the restored Earth and Jerusalem where there will be no more pain, suffering or sorrow.
If you are not a born again Christian, what do you have to look forward to? You can have this same peace and assurance; recognize you are a sinner (Romans 3:23), repent, that is confess and turn from your sin, that Jesus took our sins paying the penalty for sin arising victorious over death. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
Four weeks from tomorrow, we will celebrate Jesus' birth. What greater gift can you receive than God's grace and eternal life with him. We know it is not the actual day and I believe the reason is that Jesus did not want us to worship a day; he wanted us to worship and trust him!
From today's Stand Firm devotional, "Be quiet and watch God work." Stand still and observe the miracle of God's creation at work every day. Many consider this a myth, but what do they have for their hope or for their existence: nothing.
Concord Baptist Church will be at Living Windows on Friday in downtown Jefferson City, FOL Dec. 9-11, and/or come worship with us on Truman Road in Jefferson City.