with God’s strength to pilot my course,
with God’s power to uphold me,
with God’s wisdom to guide me,
with God’s eye to give me seeing,
with God’s ear for my hearing,
with God’s word for me to speak..."
Patrick never held back. Whenever he was given an opportunity to speak the truth, he would do it. In fact, when he was confronted by the starving sailors with whom he found himself traveling, his encouragement to them was the Word of God, molded and imparted in just the right way, at just the right time: "Be converted by faith with all your heart to my Lord God, because nothing is impossible for him, so that today he will send food for you on your road, until you be sated, because everywhere he abounds."
God placed within him timely creativity which is exemplified in Patrick's explanation of the Trinity to the high king of Ireland, in which he used the shamrock, which is three leaves in one. That simple act is commemorated even today, as we see the image of the shamrock nearly anywhere there is anything Irish.If we are to be remembered for anything we say, is there anything better than the truth of God's Word?
Paul's request to those to whom he was writing in Colosse was that while he was in prison they might pray, "...that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains..." (Col. 4:3)
It is my prayer that more and more followers of Christ might follow the example of the first century Christians, about which it is written: "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31)
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