Has it ever hit you in a fresh way that Jesus died for you – just for you? That happened to me just recently. When I was 9 years old I ask Jesus to be my Savior. I realized at that young age that I was a sinner and I needed a Savior. I learned from my parents and that Jesus died to pay for my sins and that all I had to do was ask Him to forgive me and to be my Savior. I understood this truth and in child-like faith I asked Jesus to be my Savior. I grew up going to church with my parents and then got involved in the music ministry as a teenager, so I’ve heard the deep truths of God’s Word taught throughout my entire life. What a blessing that has been! If you’re involved in a ministry in your church and you too have heard the truths of God’s Word taught over and over, you must guard your heart against letting routine lead to complacency.
As the worship team leader at my church I have the weekly responsibility of planning the music for all of the services. I always ask the Lord to guide my thoughts as I choose the music and to help me choose songs that He would like for us to sing to Him and for Him that week. It always amazes me at how He so specifically answers my requests. This past Sunday was another example of that.I got up early to shower and get ready to go rehearse with the worship team before the church service. As I was drying my hair I started singing the chorus to the hymn Jesus paid it all. That doesn’t seem so odd except for the fact that I haven’t sung that song in years. But it was in my mind clear as could be. I stopped and asked the Lord, “Do you want us to sing that song today in the church service?” I decided immediately that I would add that in between two worship choruses that we were going to sing. When I got to church I asked one of the guys on our worship team if he would lead that song as a solo and then we would join in with harmony second time around. We started the church service and we sang through the list of songs including Jesus paid it all and the songs were so worshipful. We ended with Just for Me by Donnie McClurken. The rest of the day I continued to sing both of those songs over and over.
Finally I stopped and thought about the words I was singing. I asked the Lord, “Are You trying to remind me of something with these words?” He immediately whispered into my heart the precious reminder that Jesus died just for me – yes He died for the whole world but He died just for me. This is a truth that I’ve known and believed all my life – but a truth that He doesn’t want you or me to ever get use to. Don’t let that truth lose its sharpness in your life. Guard against letting routine lead to complacency. Take a moment and listen to Jesus Paid It All and Just for Me. Thank the Lord that He paid the price for your sins. He did it just for you and just for me! Don’t ever take the truth for granted.
