You Don't Know, What You Don't Know

Three years ago we sold our home as we prepared to move for my husband's job. By what I can only describe as the gracious hand of God, buyers for our home appeared seemingly out of thin air well before we intended to sell our house. We'd later realize that God, in His Devine nature, knew when we needed to move. The buyers signed the contract for the house quickly and a few days later the inspector arrived to give our house a once-over. (Read how ill-prepared we were here.)

Our home wasn't quite three years and in excellent condition. When the realtor sent me pictures of a water spot on the ceiling of our closet asking how it had gotten there, I was dumbfounded. A bit of investigation revealed we had a leaky boot. (I didn't know my house had boots much less leaky ones.)

We hired a contractor to seal the boot and repair the ceiling.

Had we not sold our home, who knows how long it would have taken us to realize we had a leak. You see, until we knew we had a problem, we didn't know to look for a solution.

Our sinfulness is the same way. Until we admit that we are sinful, that nothing we do will ever make us good enough for God to allow into His kingdom, we'll never know how much we need a Savior.

This week we're starting a series of memory verses based on the Roman's Road to Salvation. The start of a relationship with Christ is realizing how far we fall from His Glory. Perhaps it's one of the hardest, most gut-wrenching parts of this journey.

Without Christ, we have no victory, only failure.

No hope, only despair.

No light, only darkness.

I almost hate to lob this verse out there for you this week without the companion of the verse afterward, but we have to reach this place of finding the problem before we're ready to search for a cure.

If you're a believer, you know the truth of this verse and the hope that lies on the other side. Memorize it so that when God opens a door for you to witness to someone, you know where to start.

If you're not a believer, I invite you to read not only this verse but the one after it. Follow the hopelessness, failure, and darkness into Christ's light, victory, and hope.

Below are the images for you to share and add to your smartphone's wallpaper as you work to memorize it this week.