“Google” around for a few minutes at the life of Randy Travis. How tragic! So talented – so famous – so messed up. He has had many ups and downs in his life, going all the way back to pulling his abusive father off of his mother when he was 10 years old and then running for his life from his father who threatened him with a loaded gun. Afraid to come out in the open, he hid in a cornfield with no food or water for two days. He started using/abusing drugs/alcohol in his adolescent years and addiction took him down as he wildly broke the law and was arrested numerous times. His adult years were up and down as well. He would get on track but eventually would have more run-ins with the law. Through all of that Randy Travis had a deep spiritual side that was convoluted because of chemicals, triggered or aided by his terrible childhood. Travis has recorded many old church songs with his magical voice. A few years ago he suffered a terrible stroke and his physical life was permanently altered for the worse. Looking at the photos will make you very sad.
The “saving grace” through all of Randy Travis’ lawless, drunken experiences is that he turned his life back over to the LORD. The good news is that God forgives people like Randy Travis – and you and me. He even accepts us back into His presence and allows us to praise Him. We can shout to the Lord with gladness, we can sing with joyful singing, we can enter His gates (be in His loving, saving presence), and we can claim that we belong to Him. All of this is made miraculously possible because of Jesus Christ our LORD and Savior. Praise God we don’t have to hang our heads low in shame now. Rejoice that we won’t have to sit on the back pew in heaven; rather, we can shout to the LORD. We don’t deserve it but God loves to save sinners who bow before Him and acknowledge Him for who He really is.
Read Psalm 100 and then listen to Randy Travis sing Shout to the Lord. It will melt your heart. See you Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at the church building for public worship or online @ jesus-place.org.
Psalm 100
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with jubilation;
Come before Him with rejoicing.
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courtyards with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting
And His faithfulness is to all generations.
Study God’s Word with us @ jesus-place.org