Only one life

Earlier today on Bellshill Salvation Army Band’s Facebook page I shared some devotions. I’d like to share those devotions with you tonight.

I still have all the Salvation Army songbooks that I’ve used over the years, and every little while I find myself drawn to one of them, sometimes for no particular reason. That happened last week, when I found myself flicking through one of my previous songbooks (1987 edition), for no particular reason.

In those days I used to have lots of bits of paper in my songbook, many of which had been given out in meetings with the words of a new chorus on them, or sometimes a verse of scripture. While flicking through the pages I came across one such piece of paper in the shape of the number one, and hand-written on the piece of paper were these words.

I am only one,
But I am one:
I cannot do everything,
But I can do something.

What I can do,
I ought to do;
And what I ought to do,
By the grace of God, I will.

I don’t remember when or where I got that piece of paper. I don’t recall why I kept it either, however I’m glad I did, as I have found the words have stuck in my mind since I found it. Many times in our lives we can feel like everyone wants a piece of our time, meaning we feel as if we have no time to ourselves, not even just to rest.

When we follow God’s will for our lives we can be assured that He will always ensure He does not give us more to do than we can cope with. Instead He simply gives us what we can do for Him, it’s then down to us to decide if we will do what we ought to do for Him. I pray we may each do what we ought to do for God each day of our lives.

While thinking about the words on that piece of paper in my songbook, I was reminded of the song ‘One Life To Live’ – a song I used to sing in our Singing Company (junior choir) at Rutherglen Salvation Army. It’s a song which I used to enjoy singing, not just because I loved the melody, but because the words truly meant something to me. I hope as you read the words of the song below, you may understand why the words meant so much to me then, and continue to be true for me today. I hope you too can pray these words.

One live to live
Oh may I live for thee
Give me your spirit
And I shall be free
Free from desire
My own way to pursue
Free to obey your will
My whole life through

I live within a whole full of confusion
Where happiness is nothing but illusion
Attractions that deceive
In what can I believe
I’m tossed about by every wind that blows

One live to live
Oh may I live for thee
Give me your spirit
And I shall be free
Free from desire
My own way to pursue
Free to obey your will
My whole life through

I live when I receive your holy spirit
A promise that you said I would inherit
You’ve planned it from the start
I give to you my heart
And now my spirit really can be free

One live to to live
Oh may I live for thee
Give me your spirit
And I shall be free
Free from desire
My own way to pursue
Free to obey your will
My whole life through