TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Thank you for praying for my son yesterday. I wasn’t going to share details since things aren’t finalized yet, but between this prayer request and the one I posted on my personal Facebook page, I’ve inadvertently created some concerns. Understandable since we’re in a season of bad news chasing bad news, but this was actually for something positive… Everything is fine—my son had an interview and really needs this job. He didn’t get the one he interviewed for, but they did offer him another position. So it’s still an answered prayer, praise Jesus! He goes back this morning to finalize his wage and schedule. Again, thank you so much for praying!!! If you’ll keep him in your prayers as he begins his new job, I’d appreciate it! I’m so thankful that he has this opportunity!
Today, let’s talk about to Whom we answer. At some point, we are all going to come face-to-face with God and we’re going to answer to Him. Paul wrote in Romans 14:10b-12, “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
Honestly, I think this is one of the most terrifying passages in the Bible. This one, along with, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). This passage is even scarier since it was spoken directly by Jesus, the Son of God.
We live in a world where people demand answers. People feel justified in their respective points of view and goodness knows if anyone disagrees, it’s the height of disrespect (insert sarcasm here)! But here’s the thing… if what someone is demanding goes against the Word of God, oh well. It’s not my intent to offend anyone, but I don’t answer to anyone except my Creator. I’m not a confrontational person and I am never intentionally rude, but pleasing someone who is demanding things that goes against the Commandments of God, well—I just can’t do that. Nor should I be expected to.
As many of you know, I rarely preplan anything I write. Every morning, this blog is typed on an iPhone from my living room in Clemmons, NC. 99% of the time, I wake up without a clue of what I’ll write about until I start writing. But this was one of the first things I thought about this morning. It’s one of the reasons the weight of writing overwhelms me at times. But I don’t feel like I can stop right now; the Holy Spirit hasn’t put another direction on my heart. So I keep plugging away, wondering how long I’ll keep going. At this point, over the course of 3+ years, I have written well over 1000 daily blogs for MGFL. And one of these days, I’m going to have to stand before God about every word I’ve typed. My prayer is that when these are put on the fire, my efforts will survive the refining process (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
And as is often the case when I write (again, insert very high estimated percentage), today’s topic is relevant to a real situation in my life. I won’t go into the details, but I feel incredibly compelled to write this today. I answer to God. I don’t answer to anyone else.
It’s actually a liberating feeling… not a popular one. But a liberating one. Doesn’t it blow your mind?!? Your Creator designed you with a purpose and wants a relationship with you! We will all have the indescribable experience of being in His presence one day and as terrifying as it seems to my finite brain, I know I have nothing to fear. In His goodness and mercy, He lets us choose how we’ll face Him… as a Redeemer or as a Judge. I’ll be face-to-face and answer my Redeemer. To Whom will you answer?
Today, as you pray, thank God for the options He gives us because true love always gives a choice. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be bold in your faith… to know that you answer to One and only One.
SHARING ••• Please share with others! Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. ***Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture references are from the ESV translation.
One Response
I admire your faith and courage to write daily. To trust the Holy Spirit for guidance on what to write each and every day. I have a post-it note on my computer that says “Pray First.” So I strive to do that every day but I don’t. Thanks for the inspiration to do it.