Plunged Beneath That Flood

"There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains."
-- William Cowper, "There Is A Fountain"

Today was the first day of our orientation, and it started out uneventful and rather boring. We were lectured about developing a missionary attitude, encouraged to avoid temptations on the field, and given the results of our personality test. However, God had bigger plans for this day than I could have ever imagined.

My team, including myself, has been struggling with feeling spiritually unprepared for that to which we have committed ourselves. We know that our God has redeemed us from the bondage of sin and has given us the power to overcome temptation  We also know that no person in the Bible was ever adequate for the task to which the Lord called the person. However, knowing and believing are completely different. I cannot comprehend why God would even consider me for this task. However, our Lord does not operate by fundamental human logic, but rather by the incomprehensible love that compels Him to pour out His grace and mercy on His children; any human attempt to understand the full mind of God will ultimately fail.

The speaker tonight had stressed repeatedly about turning our lives completely over to the Lord. At the end of the sermon, the speaker invited us to write on a note card the sins that made us feel inadequate to serve God this summer. We took these index cards and nailed them onto a large wooden cross as we prayed that the Lord take upon Himself the guilt and emptiness from these transgressions. It was during this time the Spirit began to move among us, reminding us of how our Savior's blood covers us, washing away all of our past sins and regrets. The speaker also asked that we raise our hand if we would like other believers to pray over us. In a move unusual for me, I raised my hand and was soon surrounded by my teammate and three other students who prayed that the Lord would give me peace and give me the strength to resist whatever temptations might come this summer. I sat in the chapel afterwards, so stunned by the presence of God and the love of my brothers in Christ that I didn't know what to do next. At this point, I feel compelled to tell anyone who will listen about the freedom and salvation found in following Jesus.