CROWFOOT AND ME
In the 1880s, Canadian Pacific constructed a coast-to-coast railway. But accomplishing this feat necessitated laying tracks through first nations lands. The tribes initially refused to allow this intrusion, but eventually, Crowfoot, chief of the Siksika nation and spokesperson for the Blackfoot Confederacy, negotiated a treaty.
A portion of their agreement granted Crowfoot a lifetime railway pass, enabling him to ride the train anytime he wished. He wore the pass for many years, refusing to remove it for any reason. But one thing he never did. He never used the pass. He simply wanted to know he could.
Can you imagine possessing something of great value—something you would never think of parting with—yet never enjoying the benefits? Actually, I can. In fact, I’m guilty on a regular basis. I simply neglect to apply God’s promises to my life.
Romans eight lays out a plethora of promises and blessings from God. We’re told in verse one, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Yet often we drag a burden of shame through life, like a ball and chain, when God guarantees us freedom from guilt.
Or what about enjoying our inheritance as God’s children (verses 14-17)? We are co-heirs with Christ, sharing in his birthright. But at times we choose to feed from spiritual “garbage cans,” wallowing in the trash of arrogance, lust, and self-pity.
Then there’s prayer. The door into our Father’s throne room is open 24/7/365. Not only does God guarantee to hear us when we cry out, he even gives us the Holy Spirit to assist us in prayer (verse 26-27). But how often do we rush into our day, shouldering burdens we don’t need to bear? The old hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus declares, “O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.”
How much clearer could our Father be? He pours blessing upon blessing into our laps, which we refuse to grasp. We settle for mediocre lives, when we can “ride the rails” of God’s promises every day. I can shake my head at Crowfoot, but I’m even more short-sighted. All he gave up was a few rides on a locomotive. But me? I possess a pile of God’s prodigious promises I simply don’t use, when they’re available to me every moment of my life.
Principle: We possess God’s great promises, yet so often neglect to put them to use.
Ponder:
Which of God’s promises do you most often fail to take advantage of?
What steps can you take to change this practice?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Romans eight.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing promises and blessings. Please forgive my failure to appreciate them and put them to use.”