“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:30,31).
I was born on April 5, 1923. At this writing I am in my seventies. When I was 21 years old, God called me to tell others about Jesus. At that time I estimated it might mean a lifetime of trials, suffering and need. But I was totally wrong, for God gave me a long life of nothing but blessings upon blessings and joy upon joy! Even in the midst of the inevitable trials and suffering, the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ abiding in me, time and again gives me such hilarious joy, that whatever sufferings are involved, they are swallowed up completely by the joy of the Lord, which even now is my strength, my only strength! Yes, it is blessedly true, “In His Presence is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore!” AndCthanks to God!Cone does not need to physically die and go to heaven first, before one can begin enjoying Him as the All in all! As the Bread of Life, Christ can be eaten today and there will be even more of Him to eat tomorrow! That is much better than to eat the cake and keep it too! He is simply INFINITE!
And so it was again, when I flew to Eastern Europe on May 22, 1992, to minister Christ in Romania. Oh what joy it is to go wherever God sends you, He going in you and you going in Him!
Traveling in a dilapidated third world trolley tramway in Bucharest, Rodica Dimitriu, a Rumanian Christian student asked me an extraordinary question, “HOW CAN I BE MORE HUMBLE?”
This indicated to me that she was a sincere, earnest Christian, for no unbeliever ever has such longings. Frankly, few Christians ever do! So I said to her,
“The more you try, the more you will fail! So quit trying and pray like this,
`Lord Jesus, I am poor in spirit and specially poor in humility! But I take You Lord Jesus to be real humility in me and through me. Express Yourself through me. I have already received You as my only salvation. Now also be in me all I daily need, including real humility! Remember that God’s Word assures me that I am in You, Lord Jesus, and of the Father You have been made to be my real wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. I also receive You to be my real humility and any other virtue I need!’ Remember that in 1 Corinthians 1:30,31 God’s Word assures me `But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.'”
From then on, her expression began changing rapidly, until it radiated with the joy of the Lord, the indwelling Christ.
Perhaps you, dear reader, also need to pray this same prayer I told Rodica to pray. Go ahead! Pray right now! May God bless and answer your prayer!
From Praying God’s Word – Chapter 2