A Gift to Jesus- THE GIFT OF YOUR FUTURE

Years ago the scripture above was one that I committed to memory.  It was called an "assurance verse."  How so?   It assures us of a fact in the Gospel that in Christ we are made new.  It means that our past is over and done with and we are no longer accountable to it.  The present is now fresh and new with a new beginning.  Our future is now secure, planned out by God, and no longer a random possibility with what happens.  Best of all we no longer have to be anxious about our eternal future.  We are secure in Christ.  This is what the above verse means.  I think most of us agree with the theology of the things I point out.  But do we really believe them and take them to heart.  If we do, there will be a great benefit.

If we believe these things and practice having a perspective that these facts are true for us personally, then we can have peace with the process of living our life.  Do you believe these things I speak of?  Do you really believe it and live with the perspective that Christ holds your life and every day and every minute of each day safe in His care?  If you do believe and practice these things, then there will be a "fruit" that will show itself to you.  It will be the fruit of peace.  But the bitter fruit of fear, dread and anxiety will also show if you do not practice what you believe to be true.  My challenge to you is to do an assessment of where you are with life.  What do you see?  What do you feel?  Only you need to know the answer.  I am not asking you for it.  However, it is extremely important that you know the truth about yourself, for God wants to return to you the very thing you are longing for, which is peace. But it will require a gift from you to Jesus first.

One thing we consistently see is the fear men have to abandon their life to Christ.  They in some way want to hold on to their future by trying to be in control of it.  But really, how much control do we have with our future?  I know what God has shown me by bitter experience with my inability to control my future.  For me, it was like trying to teach a pig to sing.  It wasted time and frustrated the pig (me).  It seems that the Lord has put obstacles in the way of my plans so that I can grasp that I gain only an illusion of security.  I have now come to believe it is because He wants me to give up this illusion of being in control of my future so that I can gain the great assurance that He has it under His control.

Today I ask you to give a gift to Jesus.  Today, why don't you give up on your illusion of control and instead give Him control of your life.  Put your future and all it represents into a Christmas box (in your mind) and lay it before His throne and walk away.  Allow Jesus to take on that burden that He has never asked you to carry.  But before you leave, don't forget His gift to you.  There is a gift exchange, you know?  He has a gift made out to you.  It is a promise to you that says these words: