[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Sunday, November 3, 2013

[Paul]

Hello to all my loyal readers scattered across the globe, the majority of whom are still in their Lord's Day.  I hope that you had a good time in fellowship with Him and with the congregants at your church today.

As promised in yesterday's email, today's will be considerably shorter.  It was written by the late Dr. Ralph Montanus (1919-1986), founder of the Gospel Association for the Blind.  His archival article for today is entitled "What One Person Can Do" and is rendered as follows:

In Isaiah, chapter 6, verse 8, we read, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."

Here one man is willing to be sent by God to do His will.  Isaiah's whole heart was yielded, and his life was surrendered to do whatsoever the Lord commanded.

How often we have said, "What can I, as one person, do in the light of current events?"

Before answering the above question, let us look at what one person sold out to Satan can do.  Take, for example, the woman atheist residing in the State of Maryland who was able, by persistent, unyielding effort, to bring to the Supreme Court her hatred of God's Word, which resulted in the reading of it being outlawed in our public schools.  Here, one person sold out to Satan did what masses of individuals have failed to do in the past.  Now, the Bible cannot be read lawfully in our public schools from Maine to California.

We once saw how one immoral woman residing in England could do more to weaken and almost overthrow the existing government than communism could accomplish in a decade.  Yes, one woman sold out to Satan could do more danger to the British government than could many invading armies.

Now, I ask you, if persons yielded to Satan can have such power, how much more can one person fully surrendered and wholly yielded to God have tremendous influences for righteousness?

Just as God looked for a man in Isaiah's day, so He does in the twenty-first century.

I am reminded of the story of a young man who, after hearing the gospel, gave his heart to God.  Several months later, the same young man, now converted, attended a service where he heard a preacher say, "The world has yet to see what God can do with one man who is fully yielded and surrendered to Him." At the end of that service, the young man started for home.  Over and over, the statement, "The world has yet to see what God can do with one man who is fully yielded and surrendered to Him," was ringing in his ears.

The young man endeavored to sleep that night, but he could not, for the words kept coming to him, "The world has yet to see what God can do with one man who is fully yielded and surrendered to Him." Finally, the young man could stand it no longer and, getting out of bed, he dropped to his knees and prayed, "Lord, from this moment on, you shall have all there is of Dwight L. Moody." From that day on, Mr. Moody's life became wholly God's, and Mr. Moody lived to see the day that, under God, he shook three continents for Christ.

Although Brother Moody has gone to be with the Lord, his ministry lives on.  There are institutions bearing his name, which are doing a tremendous work for Christ.  His sermons and illustrations are still used and quoted by numerous ministers in their sermons and writings.

Oh, Christian, the world has yet to see what God can do with your life, your talents, your abilities, if you will only surrender and yield them fully to God.

Did you ever think that there is no one in the world just like you? When God made you, He made you to differ in looks and personality from every other person alive.  Yes, when God made you, He threw the mold away.  There has not been, and there never will be, anyone else just like you.

What am I trying to say? I am trying to say that God has a plan for your life and that, if you miss that plan, you miss it for all time and for all eternity.  There is no one who can fill the specific plan that God has for you.  Oh, that you may enter into the fullness of God's will for your life so that the world can see what God can and will do with one person fully yielded and surrendered to Him.

And there you have Brother Ralph's article dug up from the archives.  Back in the article itself, when I wrote the "the twenty-first century," he actually wrote "the twentieth century." I just brought it up-to-date.  I hope and pray that this contribution was a blessing to you.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing will present another Daily Thought message tomorrow.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul