Give Me Words To Speak!

June 25, 2010

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
--
Ephesians 6:19-20

This morning I read these verses during my devotions with the Lord. I think we place Paul on a high pedestal in the church, and sometimes fail to realize that He was just an ordinary guy like us. He was a sinner, saved by grace, and transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit. It is true that He knew God in a way that many of us cannot even begin to imagine, yet it was not because He was the “super apostle” or something like that, but because He lived a cross-centered life…He made Christ His number one priority in everything.

Read these verses again. Paul was afraid…he experienced fear when it came to sharing His faith. But He did not allow fear to hold Him back or keep Him from doing what Jesus Christ had commanded Him to do. So what did He do? He turned to the Lord for help…and he asked his friends---the Ephesians---to pray for him.

I feel so inadequate to share my faith here on the Midgett. Fears torment me and threaten to overwhelm me at times, and when I do find the courage to speak up when people ask me about my faith or why I am so happy, I feel like my tongue is tied in a million knots. I am Christ’s ambassador here on my boat, but I struggle having the courage to testify to the gospel of Christ, and finding the words to say to testify. So I turn to the Lord as Paul did, and I present my plea before the Father. “O give me Words to speak! Give me words to declare Your grace and truth to these people who need You and may I declare it fearlessly as I should!”

Pray for me, Lovers of Christ…that God would give me the words to speak when He brings opportunities into my life to share the gospel. And pray that I may declare the gospel here on the Midgett fearlessly as I should.

I'm Back!

June 22, 2010

I’m back! The irony of it all is that I’ll be leaving in less than two weeks for the Midgett’s South Patrol. Time seems to have flown by the passed several months; along with dry dock, my trip home to see my family, and my six-month mark here on my boat. God continues to teach me lessons on His faithfulness, demonstrate His patience in sustaining me each new day, and never fails to stretch and challenge me in my faith.

Today I sanded and varnished the “teak rail” on the bridge (I’ll have to post a picture of it sometime), then I took a walk through downtown Seattle, and then headed over to my favorite---Seattle’s Best! At times moments and days seem to blend into each other and I wonder where all my time goes. Oh that I would not waste my life frittering away the time I have been given! My aim is that every moment I spend on this earth, I would spend pointing people to Christ. I fail, but God remains faithful to me and picks me back up.

I so easily forget that Christ is the most important thing and the people on my boat need Him. They need the Gospel. I am to be Christ’s witness on my boat---His ambassador.

So I press on today, and the joy that pulses through me each moment is that I have been reconciled to God! Jesus Christ has taken my place and I have forgiveness! I have peace with the Father because of the sacrifice of the Son. I am so happy that I am a child of God. This is the reason I smile.