What Might Have Been
Isaiah 48:18-19
In Isaiah 48:18-19 the Lord God declares
to his disobedient, unbelieving people what might have been theirs, had they
only obeyed him, had they only trusted him!
"Of all the sad words of tongue or
pen,
The saddest are these: `It might have
been!'"
Recently I drove by an empty church
building in a large city. Once there was a large, flourishing congregation
there. The gospel of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ was preached
there. The congregation had a worldwide, influential ministry. Once, as a young
pastor, I visited the church with my wife and daughter. I was simply
overwhelmed at the ministry of that congregation.
In a few years the people began to be
divided. First, there was an ugly fight, then a split, then disintegration. For
years now the church building has stood as an empty monument to what might have
been, if the people there had simply placed the honor of God and the cause of
Christ above their petty grievances and foolish pride. Every time I drive
through that city I think of that church and what might have been.
Some might say, "God is sovereign.
His purpose stands fast. His will is done." If so, they are exactly right.
But if your rationalization leads you to indifference, or leads you to think
nothing is to be gained or lost by your obedience or disobedience to God, your
rationalization is dead wrong! Forever abandon any notion regarding God's
sovereignty that leads to irresponsibility and carelessness. We rob ourselves of
much good and much usefulness in this world by our unbelief and disobedience to
our God. The true reason why we possess so little spiritually is because we
seek so little and believe so little. "Ye have not because ye ask
not!"
Let us seize every opportunity set before
us to serve our God and the interests of his kingdom in this world. Believing
God, let us serve him faithfully. How sad it would be to reach the end of our
pilgrimage, look back over a life of wasted opportunities, and see what might have
been! How much better it would be to leave this world with the satisfaction of
having fought a good fight, having finished my course with joy, having kept the
faith.!
Don Fortner