GRADUATION
I
may have two graduations this year talk
about feeling my age. Jonathan, our
youngest, graduated in May from Coleman
HS and our oldest (6 years between the
boys), Ryan, should in June or soon
after that graduate from college with a
degree in photography.
Many of
you are going to experience the big
event in one way or another it is an
exciting time and yet a very challenging
time for our students. If you could take
a short bit of advice from a guy who is
a parent…don’t always believe everything
you read about the state of our world
from the news media or other people.
Remember God has a place and purpose for
you!
One of
the most effective tools the enemy will
use to keep you from serving God is
convincing you that you’ve either messed
up too much to serve God or that you
must clean up your life before you can
get God’s attention. When these thoughts
pop into your head, know it is the enemy
and not from God.
God’s intention when he convicts us of
our sins is not to condemn us; rather
his breath of life disperses that
satanic smoke the father of lies uses to
keep us on the run from God.
Scripture says…
'Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For
I am a man of unclean lips . . . and my
eyes have seen the King, the LORD
Almighty.’ Then one of the seraphs flew
to me with a live coal . . . which he
had taken with tongs from the altar.
With it he touched my mouth and said,
‘See, this has touched your lips; your
guilt is taken away and your sin atoned
for.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord
saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will
go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send
me!’” (Isaiah 6:5–8 NIV)
If you follow the sequence of Isaiah 6,
you’ll see how God initiates the process
that brings you into his holy presence
and purifies you to remain in his
presence, and that your new guilt-free,
sin-atoned status will compel you and
prepare you for the unique mission God
sets before you.
Prior to God taking the initiative to
cleanse Isaiah, the prophet felt
overwhelmed and unprepared for any
mission on God’s behalf.
Isaiah reports that God’s fire is a
cleansing fire that burns your guilt
away and purifies you from sin, sealing
within you the work of Jesus Christ. The
prophet also suggests God’s ultimate
purpose for cleansing us is to prepare
us for mission: “Then I heard the voice
of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send?
And who will go for us?’ And I said,
‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8 NIV).
Grads and parents of grads it is my
prayer that is your prayer.
PD
