A Prayer to Remember Who We Belong To
By Meg Bucher
"And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life." Philippians 4:3 NLT
The story of our family table began in the scratch and dent clearance section, tucked away on the third floor of the old downtown furniture store in a dusty corner amongst other rejected pieces. "But it's missing a piece," the salesperson explained. The missing piece was so obscure I felt extremely victorious as my husband and I left with said table for a quarter of the cost of a new one. It came with two bench seats and drawers, which would, in time, collect toys, cards, and all sorts of random treasures. Fifteen years later, our table has been the centerpiece of our story—game nights, Bible studies, meetings, birthday parties …family dinners, and crafting sessions. The surface is now so worn it's become difficult to clean. Though I'd love to give it new life and have it refurbished, I cherish every nail polish and paint stain. There's been a lot of life lived around that old table.
God saw us in the proverbial back corner of the third floor amongst all the other people the world neglects and rejects, lovingly calling us His own. Adopted into the family of God, we get to do life on earth for His glory. Rescued, redeemed, and given a purpose, He cherishes us. He can remember the days of our lives with much more prominence than I can recall the memories around my family table. In the verse above, Paul recognizes faithful saints who spread the gospel's good news with the days of their lives. He presents them as an example of how to live in pursuit of Christ. "Paul calls for reconciliation, joyful faith, and disciplined thinking," the ESV Global Study Bible notes, "the book of life refers to God's record of those who belong to him." It's the everyday moments of our lives that mean the most. The times we could have changed the subject but chose to talk about Jesus. The people we invited, even though others wouldn't welcome them. The celebrations, laughter, and love are written on the pages of our days. Those are things God cares about—the roots of His love propel the action of our lives. And when our Savior is the center of our universe, our names are written in the Book of Life. The Apostle John recorded:
"All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine." Revelation 3:5 NLT
Eyes fixed on Jesus, we can anticipate the end of suffering in this life and embrace the hope of eternity. Fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith, He protects us from distraction and derailment. We live with the pains of this world daily, but that doesn't have the power to steal the joy and hope we have in Christ.
Let’s pray:
Father,
I love how our family table is placed in the center of our lives. Though I walk by it daily, I often fail to notice all the dirt it accumulates until I pause to clean it. Let our lives be centered around You, God. We want the days of our lives to be littered with the love of Jesus we have walked out on this earth. Thank you for seeing us for who we are and guiding us faithfully through this life.
God, You proclaim authority over all creation, including us, determining who belongs to You. Sometimes, we are too concerned over the faithfulness of those around us. Our responsibility as Christians is to follow Jesus wholeheartedly and love those around us obediently, leaving judgment in the hands of God. Help us to embrace and cherish the memories we accumulate in this life and let them all be rooted in Your great love. Thank You for writing our names in the Book of Life. You are the center of our universe, God. Our joy comes from obediently living out and telling others the Gospel truth—the truth we are loved, rescued, and redeemed in Christ Jesus.
Keep our eyes fixed on You.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/LillyRoadstones
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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