Nearly 35 years ago I recommended a young man for a job at the insurance company where I worked. He was a very bright, very talented individual who had worked hard to put himself through college and had even attended one year of seminary. Running out of money, he went to work at a local restaurant, part of a large national chain. Soon, his hard work, high intelligence, and winsome way with both customers and staff had resulted in a promotion to manager. As manager he learned one of the great secrets of the hospitality industry: it is extremely hard work.
Now married and with a child on the way, he desperately wanted to find a job that would provide a greater income, more security for his growing family, and require less hours at work to accomplish those goals. He would often quiz me about what I did, asking very thoughtful questions and seeming genuinely interested.
After one such encounter, I invited him to come to my home and spend some time seeing the kind of paperwork involved in the job. He took me up on my offer and came over one Saturday afternoon.
Together, we poured over the detailed engineering reports associated with Highly Protected Risk property insurance. He watched, as I performed the calculations to determine if the facility had a water supply of sufficient capacity to support the automatic sprinkler protection. As he went to leave at the end of our four hours together, he told me he was very excited about what he had observed. I urged him to fill out an application. I told him if he would provide me with the necessary information about his background, I would gladly recommend that the insurance company hire him.
The truth was that he did not meet the minimum requirements for the job. He did not possess an engineering degree from an accredited institution. Nor had he ever had any fire protection or fire fighting experience. Nevertheless, I felt confident that he had the intellectual capacity to learn the intricate details of the job. And, more so, he had the will to do his very best to start down the pathway of a career that could serve him well for the rest of his life.
In due course, he gave me his paperwork and I turned it in with my highest possible recommendation. Within days, based largely on my recommendation—since, at the time, I was in charge of training new hires for more than half of the United States—he was hired.
Shortly after the young man began working, my boss called me into his office. "You took a real chance recommending your friend for a job," he said rather sternly. "I would not have done that. There's just too much of a chance that he wouldn't work out. I wouldn't want that on my record."
I've thought about that conversation many times over the years. I'm pleased to report that my trust in the young man's abilities was not misplaced. He quickly learned every aspect of his new job. Within a relatively few years, he was promoted to supervisor. He eventually rose quite high in that insurance company until the time when the company ceased to exist. Today, he continues to work in the field of fire protection engineering at another company. His children have grown up, gone to college, and become parents themselves. Time and time again, the quality of his workmanship has proven exemplary.
This individual has achieved success through his own determination and commitment to excellence. My only role in his success was recommending him at that starting point in his career. I took a chance, believed in him, and did my best to support him during those early days.
Have I left out any part of the story. Well, in fact, I have. You see this young man was a devout believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He had abandoned his hopes, dreams, desires, and ambitions and placed them at the foot of the Cross. He had followed with perseverance the pathway laid out before him. He listened closely to the leading of the Holy Spirit and followed the pathway that God created. His devotion to serving Christ, his willingness to trust the totality of his being into the care of the blessed Savior, resulted in a life not left to chance.
This young man allowed Jesus to have the place that He wants to have in every person's life. This young man allowed Jesus to be Lord of all!
In 1973, Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote the words and music to a gospel song that has touched thousands of lives down through the years. The Gaithers titled the song, "Jesus is Lord Of All." It has a haunting melody and a very rich text. One of the most beautiful recordings of this song appears on the vinyl, Satisfied, with a vocal solo by the late Don Doig and an orchestral arrangement by Ronn Huff.
I don't know what inspired the Gaithers to write this song. Perhaps it was the words of the Apostle Paul, as he wrote to the fledgling church in Rome, found in Romans 10:9-13:
9 ...if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
No matter what trials may find their way into your life, you can rest in the sure knowledge that Jesus IS Lord of all! I urge you to place your unreserved trust in Him. He loves you with His everlasting love. There is no situation in which He will not act in your best interest. All you have to do is trust in Him and Him alone.
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