Desperate

Jul 26
2005

http://www.bennycornett.com

Read Acts 2:42-47

Peter answered, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

-John 6:68-69 (NRSV)

I was desperate. Every morning I woke up and tried to make life “work.” I showered, pulled on my trousers, and ate my cereal. Out in the world, I made my own way, without giving thought to God. I understood the way to fellowship with God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But still I labored on my own to make life work.

Then a crisis arose. An area of secret sin became known. I could not deal with this by my own efforts, and I felt trapped by tight fingers of shame.

God never intended it to be this way. Reading through the Bible, I saw that God wants us to have life and that we find the life of God within a community of faith. I reached out to Christian friends who loved me despite my sin. Through knowing them, I came to realize that life doesn’t work without God’s love expressed through the community of God’s people. This love brings life even in the midst of sin’s death grip.

Trying to live on my own, apart from the body of Christ, brought me to despair. I now find life with others who desperately seek Christ — together.

Jim Jannotti (Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)

Prayer
Thank you, God, for giving us life in Christ and for allowing us to share it with others. Amen.

Thought For The Day
We find the way to life in fellowship with God’s people.

Prayer Focus
The body of Christ around the world.