Читать книгу At the End of the Day - James W. Moore - Страница 21

Peter was down, defeated, and embarrassed. He had failed. He had denied his Master at the critical moment. He had seen the Crucifixion and was devastated. He had met the resurrected Christ, but still he felt like a failure. He felt inadequate for the task. But then came the Holy Spirit, and Peter's strength was replenished. Empowered by the Spirit, Peter became a man of courage and a tower of strength! The Holy Spirit restores our strength.

Some members of our church are going through a valley right now. It's one of the toughest situations you can imagine. A few days ago, I went to minister to them, and they ministered to me. They said, "Don't worry about us. We are going to make it. We are taking this one day at a time, and God is with us as never before. He is giving us strength. He will see us through!"

"God is with us as never before. He will see us through"; that is the good news of our faith, isn't it? God never deserts us. He redeems situations for us. He reminds us of the truth. And he restores our strength.

Have you heard the story about a young man who approached the father of his girlfriend to ask his permission to marry her? The father was skeptical. He said, "You don't know what you are asking. She has very extravagant tastes. I doubt very much that you will ever be able to support my daughter. I'm a wealthy man, and I can barely manage it myself." The young man thought for a moment, and then he said, "Sir, I believe I have it: You and I could pool our resources!"

That's the message of the Christian faith, isn't it? We are not alone. God is with us, we can pool our resources with him, and his strength will see us through. God's strength will carry us. God's strength will save us.

So, the question is, How is it with you? Have you made that discovery? Will you be remembered at the end of the day as one who knew the gift of the Holy Spirit?