You can change!

I was a horrible student until 1993.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if I had not been in a profession that required me to prepare a new sermon every week.  (Back in those days it was actually three sermons a week—Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night.)

I can’t begin to describe to you the torturous weekends I endured trying to come up with yet one more sermon.  But that all changed one morning in 1993 as I was walking through my neighborhood listening to a cassette tape by W. A. Criswell, the famed pastor of the Dallas First Baptist Church at that time.  Dr. Criswell was speaking at a pastor’s conference and he was describing the joy of preparing messages for his people and the life of study and sermon preparation. 

I remember clearly that defining moment in my life as I looked up to heaven and whispered to God, “Please help me to be like that!”  And I can’t explain it, but right then and there God put a passion and desire to study in me. 

Since then, the highlight of my day is my early morning hours when I can sequester myself away and study and work on my sermons.  Matter of fact, I have to discipline myself or I’ll spend too much time studying and let other important things slip.

The point of all this?

You can change.  Not only does God heal broken hearts, He can give you a brand new heart.

I’ve seen it countless times.  People suddenly and miraculously are changed, delivered, and set free.  Sometimes it is so drastic that it’s almost like they are a new person (maybe they are!). 

The ONE THING for today: I mention this today to remind you to not give up.  Press on.  Fight the good fight.  At any given moment, on any given day, things can change; you can change.  Hurts can be healed, addictions can be broken, love can be restored, and failure can be overcome.  With God—all things are possible.  Believe that!  Live as if it is true.  Take one more step as if it will be the one that takes you into a brand-new day…for indeed, it may.