Jo Playfoot

“WAS IT WORTH IT”

We try to get all we can but discover that without God, things have no meaning and cannot fill the void in our lives

 

PART 1 Life Without God

I remember a night long ago when my car had gone in for a service and I went into Kingston by bus from Esher., When I came home at about 6ish the dreaded "Smog" came down with a vengeance, the and at Thames Ditton the driver decided he would go no further and was going to take the bus back to the depot. There was only two of us on the bus, the other person lived there so was near home. I lived about 2.1/2 miles away in Esher and the final stretch was past woodland. As I started to walk the grey wet smog enveloped me, my footsteps echoed, I thought there was someone behind me, I was frightened. As I walked faster I hit a lamppost and thought someone was grabbing me, That night I remember thinking " Where was this God who people said was so good ? When I finall i saw the light on my own front door I was thanking this God for brining me home safely.

Without God "things" have no meaning!

After my walk through the "smog" I realized that without thought that I had actually "thanked God for bringing me home safely".

 For years I had professed that I did not Believe or have Faith in this God. Suddenly the things I had bought on my shopping trip meant nothing, I did not need most of them anyway, they were just bought on a whim, shopping was just a way of filling my empty life.

What did I really want in my life ?

Was it this God who I had shunned for all these years?

If it was, would he want me? the me who had not thought about Him since my school days.

 

Part 2  Accepting God

Hadn't I heard that "God was a loving God and would forgive all my sins" and that when we died he would reveal himself to us and guarantee us everlasting life with Him in heaven.

THEN I PRAYED ( I hadn't prayed for years ) I prayed that I would be forgiven I prayed as I have never prayed before until the tears ran down my cheeks.

Would God forgive me?

I wanted God in my life more than I had ever wanted anything.

I knew that my life would be worth nothing without Him.

 

I found the empty space in my life was not empty anymore,

God had made it His space.

My shopping bag full of "things" is no more.

God is forever. He will never forsake me.

I will be faithful and praise Him all my life.

No without God "things" have no meaning.

 

 Part 3 Living with God

When we give up our search for happiness by surrounding ourselves with earthly things and let God into our lives that is when we find the real meaning of life. This is the time when we need to forget about what we want and give in to what God wants from us. It is not going to be easy but you will find that the rewards will be ever lasting.

There may be some of you here today whose life has been similar to mine, and others

who have known God from an early age, been taken to church by grandparents or parents and have never doubted that there is God.

 

The truth is that God is with all of us, be we young or old, rich or poor, beggars or thieves, kings or tramps, from the moment we draw our first breath until we draw our last when we will see Him open his arms and welcome us into His kingdom for ever more, we are all his children and God loves us all, forgives all our sins and takes us home to an everlasting  life of eternal peace in Heaven.

 

I found God on that dark smoggy night many years ago, he has been in my heart and my life ever since, out of the darkness came light, but what did I have to give Him?

Only my self ?  

 

About 2 years ago I felt an ache in my heart telling me that God wanted me to preach his word.

Oh, I tried to tell him that he did not want an old woman like me, but if I have faith I can’t argue with God but take him on trust. So finally I had conversation with Mike Deacon, I was nervous and was sure I would be turned down, but could not believe that just a week later I had a letter to say that I would go On Note. So here I am. Its not easy, its hard work, I do many hours studying, but as I go on to become a ‘Local Preacher’ I know He is with me. He is always with me every minute of my life and it will all have been worth while and I am at peace with my own soul because I know I am redeemed. My God is my Lord and Saviour.

No matter who we are or what we have done God offers us his love and salvation all we have to do is accept our need for forgiveness and to ask again and again for his loving and forgiving presence in our lives we need to be at peace with our own soul.

Be at peace with your own soul
then heaven & earth will be at peace with you.
Enter eagerly into the treasure
house that is within you,
And you will see the things that are in heaven,
for there is but one single entry to them both.
The ladder that leads to the Kingdom
is hidden within your soul...
Dive into yourself and in your soul
and you will discover the stairs
by which to ascend.

Saint Isaac of Syria (circa 7th century)
Nestorian monk from Beth Abhe on the Persian Gulf
Bishop of Nineveh (circa 660-680)

So back to the title of my sermon “ IS IT WORTH IT” for me a RESOUNDING “YES”             What about you.         God Bless You All.           Jo   

Powered by Church Edit