Those Who Follow in His Train

Michael E. Wood
December 13, 2011

While serving as Pastoral Care Provider at Atria El Camino Gardens, and having a desire to know the spiritual pulse as it were of those with whom I have been given the responsibility to lead in corporate worship, I have had the privilege of passing on a short devotional of which I receive weekly from one of my former Pastors via internet called IMPACT (I Must Persistently Acknowledge Christ Today). The following is a brief conversation that took place and contains the poetic thoughts of my heart both during the dialogue and afterwards. Click HERE for the link by which you may read the devotionals for yourself.
Hey Pastor Latour,


Just thought you might be encouraged to know that we have been taking the liberty of making copies of the IMPACT series over the last few weeks and handing them out to those that attend the services with us at Atria El Camino Gardens. Usually I ask someone else to hand them out as the residents are leaving, but took the opportunity to do it myself this past week as our attendance was down, and was blessed by the fact that several of them were truly delighted to receive them.


Thank you for your faithfulness in persistently acknowledging Christ today!
Rejoicing with you in Jesus,
Michael


Amen, Michael! I am so thankful that these devotionals have blessed some of the folks that you serve. It is one of those ministries to which we just try to stay faithful and ask God to use them as He wishes. Please pray that He will graciously use them in the lives of my unsaved relatives and students.

To Pastor LaTour:
While pondering your request for prayer the following came to mind, and while wrestling with my own pride on whether to send this or not, I trust that our God is pleased to hear and to perfect that which pertains to our unbelief, as He is able to do exceeding and abundantly above all that we can think or ask.


Rejoicing with you in Jesus,
Michael

Oh Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come
Committing all into Thy care, while here the race we run.
Oh hear the cry of faithful hearts committed to Thy cause,
Through Christ, Your Spirit thus imparts beyond our mortal flaws,
The truth of who You Are, to those we know; are made to feel
That none that breathe have gone too far, to know that You Are Real.
Be pleased O LORD to give new life to members that are dead,
Deliver them from sin and strife through our Anointed Head.
Oh show that You are Just and justified through Christ alone.
That believing is a must and crucified He did atone
For transgressions from the fall and require repentance,
Given as a gift to all who bow in their submissions
By the faith of grace extended from Your throne above
Be pleased to show Your face; transcended mercy now in love.
And as we stand before You, all the praise be Yours alone
Oh Shepherd of the sheep who gave His life for all His own.

Father we thank You that it is of Your mercies that we are not consumed, and that You are well pleased with the sacrifice of Your Son, by which we boldly come to lay our requests before You. We ask that You would be pleased to hear the cries of your humble servants who are in absolute dependence upon You for the deliverance of our family members and students that You have been pleased to open an opportunity to faithfully proclaim by life and by word the gospel of Your glorious grace. As we commit all into Your Sovereign care, we trust that You will be glorified in the salvation of souls and the edification of the body of Christ unto the praise of Your glory. In the matchless Name of Jesus we ask. Amen!

From Pastor LaTour:
Amen. Thank you brother Michael.

The following was written in response to Pastor Latour's reply; but, never sent:

Our efforts here are never in vain as we for glory press
To make the Name of Christ be known who is our righteousness.
For as our thoughts are purged and we before Him bold approach,
We trust God’s mercy that He hears and gives without reproach
The wisdom that in Him alone we shall not be denied,
That He will give what He deems best to show He’s glorified
By redemption freely given to those who will believe,
As mercy flows to melt our hearts; to Him alone to cleave.

Oh not to us but You alone, may all the glory be
O Christ who died for sinful men, our curse upon the tree.
And though You need not anything of which that we might offer
We thank You that You’re pleased to hear, and we by You now proffer,
As kings and priests rejoicing in the offering up of prayer
While resting in the promise You receive the glory there.
Oh help us walk with diligence while clad with glories light,
The sweet perfume of which You give to show Your glorious might.

And with our battles over when in heaven You will prove
That before we called, it was our hearts that You did move
To before You bring that which Your Spirit would address
To show You are our God who answers all in holiness
Which was given from the cross and to our hearts applied
By the Lamb who led us forth, as death He has denied
By His blood presented on the altar not of hands
Perfecting those who follow in His train and glory stands.