Praying, "I can't. God can. I think I'll let Him."

 I CAN’T.  GOD CAN.  I THINK I’LL LET HIM

First and last words - these are the occasions where people often try  to communicate the ideas they consider the most important. So it seems worth noting that some of the first words Jesus spoke were these:

Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.  “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”  Mark 1:14-15

God has always kept His promises and we have not. God has always been there for us, even when we wandered in the darkness of our destructive and addictive lifestyles. 

Thankfully, there come those moments of clarity when we realize that there is more to life than the current suffering in which we are existing.  But just to realize that fact is not enough.  There's a response required of us if things are going to change. 

It all hinges on the meaning of that word, "repent" which has been amplified for us to show us it's meaning:  

… repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life] and believe [with a deep, abiding trust] in the good news [regarding salvation].”

Mark 1:15

The components of the turn-around listed here include: changing our old way of thinking; regretting past sins; living our life in a way that proves it; seeking God's purpose for our life; deeply believing the good news of salvation. 

That’s a pretty tall order but, God is near to us today, standing ready to work an amazing transformation in our lives. 

Prayer:  Loving God, help us to hear and respond to the words of Jesus today to “Repent and believe.”  Our lives are unmanageable without You.  Fill us with Your power to turn from our broken ways and return to You, putting all of our faith and trust in Your goodness and Your power to change our lives. 

We know we need to do this many times each day as we are confronted with thoughts, words, and actions, that challenge our peace and our ability to live in loving relationship with others who are broken like us. 

You call us today to believe Good News – the Gospel – that You are able to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves.  You are God and we are not.  You are the way, the truth, and life and we surrender our thinking, believing, and behaving to what You say works.  Amen

There’s a lovely little saying that helps me with these matters.  It says, “I can’t.  God can.  I’ll let Him.”  Let’s have a great day doing just that.