Biblical Success - Running in Galatians 2:20Sýnishorn

One Saturday morning over 40 years ago, a man called me and told me that he had something to tell me from God. I didn’t know him and am by nature skeptical of people who make such claims too quickly but I agreed to meet with him. There is not time to describe our meeting here but basically he explained the reality of Galatians 2:20 based on the translation of the words “have been” to me and started what would become a life’s focus for me of striving to live in the presence of Jesus. I must confess that at first I didn’t get it. While I sensed there was truth, I just couldn’t understand. We agreed to meet again the next day.

Later that day I was driving to Chicago to pick up Sherman, a Jewish man who is mentally challenged. Bonnie and I had befriended him and had been witnessing to him for several years by having him come to our home for dinner and some family time. Because of the intrusion of my visitor, I was running a bit late. Sherman got upset if I was ever late to pick him up. 

As I was driving I was mentally sort of complaining to Jesus thinking “Lord why am I doing this when I would have much rather spent a long time with my visitor and Sherman has shown no signs of accepting You?” In my spirit I heard Jesus say, “You’re not, I am.” And in that instant I got it. The old Buck would never have invited a Jewish man with mental challenges into his house. The old Buck was a manipulator of people, not a servant to them. The old Buck was dead but there was a new life in me. Jesus lived through me to Sherman that day, as He had when we invited Sherman to dinner the first time. (Of course Bonnie was my 100% partner in the process.) So I rejoiced in this new insight and tears flowed down my cheeks. Galatians 2:20 became my life verse. 

Click on the link below for some tools: start every day in quiet time with Jesus in His Word and His Spirit. If you aren’t willing to invest the time and effort to start the day with Jesus it will be so much more difficult for you to live in His presence as your day unfolds.

Try an experiment right now. With your eyes open and without looking away say “Lord Jesus, I love You” in your mind. Then say “Lord, I want to hear You more often and I ask You to help me grow to hear You better.” Then “Thank You, Lord! I trust You to lead me.” 

So, how did that go? Do you think Jesus heard that mental prayer? Do You believe He has a big smile on His face right now? Will He answer your prayer? Are you willing to look and listen, pausing as you pass through each day at least long enough to mentally pause and say in your thoughts: “Jesus, Thank You. Lord, I love you.” And maybe sometimes follow that with a mental question: “Do You have something to say to me, Lord?” If so, Galatians 2:20 may grow to be as important to you as it is to me. Give yourself grace to get going. Remember, it has been over 45 years for me and I’m still “practicing the presence of Jesus.”

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