Many of us flail through life wondering who we are while trying to obtain our worth from things, people and accomplishments. We do this because we have no sense of worth within ourselves so we look incessantly outside ourselves or in other things.

If you’ve lived long enough, you know what a futile trek this is. You have discovered how empty and exhausting this can be.

What if you could discover a worth inside yourself that can never be depleted or diminished? What if one encounter in life could leave you in awe to such a degree that you never look anywhere else for life or satisfaction? What if one place could fill your heart and nothing else you ever experience in life could take it away or alter its impact?

There is such a worth; such an encounter and such a place! Moses found it. David declared it in his day. Abraham lived in it and the disciples of Jesus were never the same because of it.

What could possibly have caused a group of men to lay down their lives and be tortured to death to contend for the faith of it? What did Moses apprehend that he chose to suffer reproach instead of dwell in Egypt’s palace?

I have prayed this prayer many times…..”Father, what did they know that I don’t know? What could they see, that I am not yet seeing that made them leave all that was precious in life and not only follow it, but give their lives unto death to it! I want to know what they knew. I want to see what they have seen!!!”.

This is a dangerously beautiful prayer, because to answer it, God must possess us completely! God must have our all! He must be our all and/or get us to the place where He becomes our life, our breath, our everything. And that, dear friends, means the surrender of all we hold dear to ourselves and within ourselves to behold Him. In case you don’t know, we don’t surrender easily.

But God can bring us to such a place of surrender in our lives that all that matters is His Word, His Presence and His will and all of life is lived from this place.

The worth, the encounter, the treasure that they all found was Jesus Christ, Himself. Hebrews 11: 24-27 describes the faith of Moses: “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,  choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,  esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

King David declared in Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.”

These, and many more, had encountered God, Himself and in relationship with Him, found their life and peace! Not just a vision of God or a sense of His Presence or a cloud, but God, Himself! They had experienced His kindness and mercy. They had seen His power and glory. They had watched his movement and heard of His works and ways throughout their generations and put their trust in Him! And those who did, were never forsaken or put to shame!!!

In the same way, men saw and encountered Jesus in the gospels and their lives were never the same. One person, in particular, a harlot, some say, was totally transformed by knowing Jesus and discovered a worth that far exceeded anything she had tried to attain through exploiting herself with men or any other practices she was known for.  She was healed from the inside out because of the love and mercy of Jesus, in Luke 7:36-50:

One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.”

Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Oh? Tell me.”

 “Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”

 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”

“That’s right,” said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”

 Then he spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”

 That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: “Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!”

 He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

If one encounter with Jesus, can alter our lives forever, just think what a moment by moment, EVERY DAY living relationship will do, not only to us but to our entire world!!!

Friends, I beg you, seek the Lord today! Seek Him in His Word and in prayer. Go into your prayer closet and shut the door and say to the Lord, “Here I am Lord, speak.” And He will meet you there and show you great and mighty things that you know not. He will reveal Himself and His ways to you! He is the Way, the Truth and the Life! “This is eternal life: to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

There is life in no other! Follow Him!!!

Crisie