Bonus Day of Praise

Here's an encouraging word from Neil Gustafson of Raleigh, NC in response to today's Day of Praise.

John the Baptist is an interesting (and encouraging) figure in the Bible for
me.

Here is a guy that was sent by God to announce Jesus' coming. He was
clearly a believer and follower of Jesus. He was called by God for God's
purposes. He did all of the right things. And yet, he found himself in
Herod's prison. He sent some of his friends to ask Jesus if, in fact, Jesus
was who John the Baptist had said he was.

Even those who follow Jesus the closest can have doubts sometime. And
questions. Jesus did not rebuke him but answered John the Baptist's
questions.

Following God's calling ended up costing John the Baptist his life.

And yet, for his short time (years?) of suffering, he is being eternally
rewarded.

I tell my Sunday school students, God loves questions from people who are
truly pursuing Him. He loves questions from believers. Doubts and
questions are OK; just continue pursuing Him. He is always pursuing us!

Another follower of Jesus I love is Mother Teresa. She spent her life
taking care of children with difficulties thrown into the streets of India
by their parents; discarded children. All she saw in her life were
difficult times and circumstances.

When she died they found her diary and in it she expressed doubts about God.
The media had a field day exposing her doubts but I felt it to be one of the
great testimonies of faith.

All she saw was the bad in life and that caused her to question God (and who
in her circumstance wouldn't). And yet, she still followed God's calling.
That is faith: doing what God wants even when I don't know why
circumstances are the way they are or why life seems so unfair.

Neil C. Gustafson
Raleigh, North Carolina
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson