Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (1 Corinthians 15:51, ESV, https://ref.ly/1Co15.51;esv)
Yesterday, I spoke of how the life of Jacob speaks of the gospel. He was given God’s promise for the sake of his fathers before him. And alongside receiving that promise, he regularly told people of the God who had been with him all his life.
For us, this should be incredibly encouraging. Because the Bible is not afraid to tell the truth, we don’t need to be anxious that our testimony isn’t picture-perfect. Jacob was a mess before and after he was named Israel. Yet, he could still point to how God had been at work in his life.
This does present us with a challenge, for it is easy to overlook the fact that God is at work in the lives of his people. Why? Because our lives are so often unconsidered. The late RC Sproul once wrote that “the unexamined life is not an option” for the professing Christian. Our lives bear witness to God’s work in humanity.
This week, consider trying this experiment. Spend some time looking back on a particularly trying time, preferably one that feels quite distant from now. Then ask yourself questions like these:
- What have I learned about Jesus since then?
- How did he sustain or grow my faith during this time?
- What do I know about Jesus now that I wish I knew then?
When we do this, we learn to look for ways that Jesus is at work. We look for the things he is teaching us through his Word and through the circumstances we find ourselves in by his providence. We learn to tell the story of Jesus working in our lives.
As you spend time in the Bible and in prayer this week, may you see again that you are being changed. May you see how Jesus is preparing you for eternity in his presence, enjoying his glory.
Notices
There will be no Tuesday Night Prayer this week (14th) due to folks travelling during the Easter break. We’ll be back on the following week, as normal.
Remember to register for Discipleship Explored! It starts at 7pm on Sunday, 26 April and will run for eight weeks. Even if you can’t make it to all the sessions, it will still be a great time together learning how to be the church that God has called us to be together.
