I am AMAZED!!

I am amazed. . . These are the first thoughts I had today at about 12 o'clock or so.

This world is filled with some pretty big stuff.  Things that are so bigger than we are . . . and I am amazed.  I am amazed at the journey of my (still short) life.  It seems as if only yesterday I was an altar boy at St. Louis church in Bayou Blue.  But oh, what a journey this has been over the many years since.  I think I have always known that God was wanting something from me.  From the early age of serving in that church until now, I think God has always been leading in the same direction.  Of course, I had so many other plans for my own life.  And, honestly so many of my own plans have not been so great.  It has been my own plans that have often gotten me in the most trouble.  But, I still move along.  Over the years I hope I have learned and matured more.

But I still find myself in the same feelings of the Apostle Paul when he said, "Oh, what a wretched man I am."  In fact, here are his exact words from Romans 7:15-25

¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

²¹ So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I find so much in that scripture to which I can relate.  My desires do not always equal my actions.  News flash . . . I am not perfect.  But I am still a work in process.  And this is why I am amazed.  I am amazed that God has NEVER given up on me.

That journey of my life spoken of earlier . . . well it continues.  And in many ways I have come full circle.  I find myself back home again.  And if you are wondering why I was amazed today at about noon . . . God has given me another opportunity to serve as Pastor.  In many ways I find myself with the same purpose as before. . . serving through the local church.  But this time is also different.  Different because I know now that I cannot do anything on my own.  I understand Paul's thoughts when he said that we have no confidence in the flesh.

So, I am amazed!  Amazed that God could take a simple boy from the bayou and even care about me to begin with.  I am amazed that God would use me to do things I could never do on my own.  And I know that if God can use ME . . . then He can use anyone who is willing to follow Him!

I am amazed . . . but then again we serve an amazing God!    

Bro. D

PS. . . Come join us at FBC Raceland to discover more amazing things from this amazing God!