i hold my life in my hand continually, but i do not forget your law. [psalm 119:109]
what does it mean to “hold my life in my hand”? i had to go to some other translations and commentaries to gain understanding:
niv: “though i constantly take my life in my hands, i will not forget your law.”
nlt : “my life constantly hangs in the balance, but i will not stop obeying your instructions.”
csb: “my life is constantly in danger, yet i do not forget your instruction.”
on wednesday, marc and timothy spoke about the 10/40 window, where unreached peoples are born, live and die without hearing the name of Christ-and that frontier missionaries are needed desperately, so that the gospel is proclaimed and the excellencies of Christ are known and that people are called out of darkness into the marvelous light. it should be our prayer that many from matthias will heed the call to “hold their lives in their hands” to suffer and even die to reach the unreached.
what about those who stay? for those who do not go to the nations, the mission is the same, to proclaim Christ to our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our homes. Those who stay must “hold [our] lives in our hands” as well–the constant danger isn’t necessarily from a government or false religion or enemy of the gospel or terrorist group like it might be in the10/40 window, the enemy is satan, who wants worldliness and self-worship to invade our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our homes and hearts. satan wants us to be nominal “Christians” only, to believe that our lives really aren’t in danger through a false sense of comfort and security, and without a clear and present danger, most will perish eternally without ever knowing the real love of Christ. the way is narrow.
“enter by the narrow gate. for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” [matt. 7:13-14]
i hold my life in my hand continually.
whether we go to the nations or stay where we are–we are on mission! let us overcome satan and the world for the gospel by feasting on God’s word, growing in holiness, conviction, joy and taking the message of Christ to our neighborhoods and nations!
today:
- spend some time praying, talking about and thinking strategically how you might pray for and minister to your unbelieving neighbors.
- take some time to pray for the people group of the day on joshuaproject.net, and explore other unreached people groups, ask God to stir your heart for the nations.
Father,
stir my heart for the nations, am i to go? stir my heart for my neighborhood. convict me of my calloused heart that has little love for the lost! you have sovereignly placed me in a context so that your kingdom might go forth through me–let me love my neighbor tony and his family well, making the gospel known. let me boast of Jesus and how he has reconciled me to himself by his cross! oh, that you would save the bedouin eastern bedawi people of egypt, bring the 1,188,000 unreached souls to know the saving power of Christ! only you can do it!
amen
~ conor eastman