Patrick had to be strong to endure the rigors of ministry in Ireland. His strength came from within, where the Lord was at work to make him willing and able to fulfill his calling. Our excerpt from Patrick: A Devotional History is found on pages 75 and 76:
“Because of this, for all that He bestowed
on me, and all the kindnesses He showed
me, I’ll repay Him with my life, though there
is nothing I can say, no promise dare
hope to fulfill, unless He gives to me
the power to do it. Let the Savior see
into my inner being: For greatly I
desire that I might drink His cup and die
for Him, as others have who loved Him.
“Patrick is nearing the end of his Confession, and he has three things on his mind: the life he has lived, the work he has done, and the day of his death.
“He acknowledges the grace of Jesus to him for all aspects of his life. Nothing that he had become or accomplished can be explained apart from the grace of our Lord and all the kindness He showed him. Our salvation is all of grace. Unless God stops us in our rebellion, sends His Spirit into our soul, and grants us new life in Jesus, we will not be saved. Patrick knew this all too well, and this Good News constituted the core of all his preaching and teaching.
“But all our life, in all its parts, depends on the grace and kindness of the Lord. It’s easy to lose sight of this. Apart from Him we can do nothing; we could not continue to exist except for His constant shepherding care. Patrick understood this and was deeply grateful. He called on the Lord to look into his soul and see that the driving force of his life and work was to walk the path Jesus walked and drink the cup He did. His motives were pure, as he argued throughout this Confession. He knew of no lingering sin in his soul, despite the spurious charges laid against him from Britain. And he offered his life to the Lord as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable every day of his life.”
For reflection or discussion
1. How would you describe the state of your inner being, your inner life, at this time?
2. What can we as believers do to strengthen one another in the inner life, so that we are faithful in our calling from the Lord?
Patrick’s was an unlikely life. How likely was it that he would be sold into slavery? Escape and return home? Make his way to Ireland again? And serve the Lord there faithfully for nearly sixty years? And what about us? How unlikely is it that wretches such as you and I would find ourselves called to the Kingdom and glory of God, redeemed by the grace of Jesus, and sent into our world as ambassadors for Christ? Let’s pray that God will use our lives, in our own spheres and callings, as fully and well as He used Patrick’s. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together talk about your calling from the Lord.. You can download a free PDF copy of our 30-day devotional, Patrick: A Devotional History, by going to The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
