The first time I ever felt like God “gave” me a life verse, I was on my first international missions trip to the Central American country of Belize. After praying about it for almost three years, I knew without a doubt God had tapped me on the shoulder and said this was the time I was to go. Being married to a state trooper, my husband was not very excited about my going to a “foreign” country and was concerned about my safety. My dad actually told my supervisor that he would be held personally responsible for my safe return!
But when the need for those who knew how to sew to go and take several donated machines to Belize, I knew I could teach the women that skill. So, I knew I was to head south. But the first morning I was having a quiet time looking out over the Caribbean, I felt my inadequacy. What could I do to reach these people…I couldn’t speak Spanish, but gratefully English was the main language of the country. I didn’t know how to effectively witness…what if I said the wrong thing?
That morning I was reading in Ephesians, the book our team was studying together that week. When I came to Ephesians 2:10 it was as though God picked that verse up and stuck it right inside my heart. It says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” That is actually the New King James version, the one I was reading and memorized at that time.
I am not sure what that verse says to you, but it says to me that I was created to serve Him. That is something I was aware of, but what I had totally not gotten till then was that HE HAD ALREADY PLANNED HOW I WAS TO DO IT! He knew the places I would go, the words I should say, the people I would meet, and what the results would be. So what is my part? To be in such a close relationship with Christ that I knew where He was leading me and I obeyed each step of the way.
What an incredible relief I felt that morning. It didn’t take away all fear, nor did it eliminate the bugs, humidity, language barriers, and snakes from the country, but it certainly assured me that if He asked me to do something, I could do it through His power and trust Him with the results.
Over and over since that time, that verse has continued to give me strength to obey Him when He asked me to do things I couldn’t do: speak in public, take on a denominational role, and face family crises. What a joy to watch Him do THROUGH me what I can’t do on my own!
What is one of your “life” verses and how did God reveal it to you? Share it in the comments section.
Helpful resources:
Believing God
Discerning the Voice of God
Me Myself & Lies
