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God is the answer

Whatever the question,

Whatever the circumstance in life—

“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.”  —Psalm 46: 1



T he greatest prayer we can utter is the call on God to hear us. When we come to realize that how we have lived and that what we have done afford us neither comfort nor hope, when we come to such a moment as when our very soul cries out, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” — when such a moment comes, we are ready to listen to God in earnest.


What is it that God will have you, or me, or any other man do? It would seem that the answer is both noble and simple —noble, because God wants our life to be noble —simple, because God want every man however lowly or humble to be able to follow him. From the book of God we read these words—
He hath shewed thee, O man,
what is good; and
what doth the LORD require of thee,
but to do justly, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with thy God? —Micah 6:8
If God has shown us, if God has declared to us what he wants us to do, we must be willing to listen and to follow his every word in faith. To do otherwise would be wrong of us and would lead only to wrong. What then, has God said to me and to you?

The answer is that he has asked the same thing of all of us. People who heard Peter preach, cried out with alarm, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?“ If we would have been there that day, Peter would have said to us the same thing he said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.“ —Acts 2:37, 38. Similarly, a eunuch from Ethiopia once interrupted Philip and asked, “What doth hinder me to be baptized?” If we had been the eunuch from Ethiopia, if we had been there that day, Philip would have said the same to us as he said to him, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.“ —Acts 8:36, 37.

In every instance in the New Testament, the answer to the question seems to have been the same. Each man believed in Christ, and each man repented, turning away from any wickedness he once had done, and each man submitted to baptism as an act of faith in God.  Before this very day is over, before this very night is past, you can have your sins forgiven. You can begin to live a different and changed life. God is calling. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good.

Oh God, hear my prayer and give me strength to live for Thee. In following Thee may I follow what others have done who followed Thy word. I give my life to the One who gave his life for me. I repent, O Lord. I believe in the Christ and confess his name before men. Let me die in baptism that I may live for thee.
— Amen.

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water:
and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.
And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
And he commanded the chariot to stand still:
and they went down both into the water,
both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. —Acts 8:37

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