Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

"Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows."¹

On a recent Saturday night Joy and I were relaxing at home listening to gospel music and heard the Oakridge Boys singing; "Did I Make a Difference?" The words were very inspiring and challenging. Following are some of the lyrics:

   "I'm caught up in the push and shove,
   The daily grind, burning time, spinning wheels,
   I wonder what I'm doing here,
   Day to day, year to year, standing still.
   Somewhere there's a teacher with a heart that never
       quits,
   Staying after school to help some inner city kids,
   A mother who's a volunteer, a soldier in the fight,
   I can't help but ask myself when I lay down at
       night.

   "Did I make a difference in somebody's life?
   What hurts did I heal? What wrongs did I right?
   Did I raise my voice in defense of the truth?
   Did I lend my hand to the destitute?
   When my race is run, when my song is sung,
   Will I have to wonder, did I make a difference?
   Did I make a difference?"²

Dear reader, when your race of life is run and you come to the end of life's journey and look back on your life, will you be able to say that you have made a difference in somebody's life, and in the world in which you lived? Or when you stand before the Master, Jesus, to give an account of your life,* will you be able to say with confidence that you made a difference with your life? And will I? Let's make absolutely certain that you and I will truly be able to say, "Yes, by the grace of God, I did make a difference."

The good news is that if you want to make a difference, you can. Just make yourself available to God every day to use you as He pleases!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, again today I surrender my heart and life to You. Please help me to so live today and every day in such a wayâ€"to be 'as Jesus' in some way to every life I touchâ€"so that my life will make a difference in somebody's life, and also in the world in which I live. And please grant that by Your grace when I stand before Your judgment seat to give an account of my life, I will not be empty handed, but will hear Youe welcoming words, 'Well done, good and faithful servant, your life made a difference in many people's lives, enter into the joy of your Lord.' Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

*"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."³

1. Isaiah 1:16-17 (NLT).
2. http://tinyurl.com/kxac9je
3. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV).

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