By Campus Missionary Mary Rowley
How did you come to know Christ? I bet I can guess most of that answer: “It was through [insert name here].” I even bet I can guess who it might be. Parents are probably the most common, followed by grandparents, other relatives, teachers, and friends. I bet I can also guess what it might not be. It most likely wasn’t because you found a Bible in your hotel room or the angel Gabriel appeared to you in a dream.
You get the gist: most people come to know Christ through other people. You may not consider it a miraculous event; after all, it’s so simple. Someone had you baptized as a baby, your friend invited you to youth group or your grandparents brought you to church when you visited them. But when you think about it, coming to Christ is a miracle no matter how it happens. It’s appropriate that this devotion is for New Year’s Day – conversion is a new beginning. It makes you a new person.
Psalm 111 demonstrates how you can demonstrate your gratitude towards the people who introduced you to Christ. “Praise the Lord!” it says. “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation” (verse 1). The best celebration those people could imagine would be hearing you confess and give thanks to the Lord. They would be affirmed by you and by their Father in heaven by seeing the fruits of their labor. I’ll ask you again: “How did you come to know Christ?” Whoever the person might be, thank them this year by praising the Lord.