Why Was I Born?

Have you ever heard that question or perhaps asked it yourself? Personally, I can't remember if I have asked that question directly or not.

A week ago I was flying at about 37,000 ft with a healthy tail wind that propelled our 747-400 up to 700 mph ground speed. It just happened to be my 63rd birthday. Sitting in row 66 on a 12 hour flight gives one plenty of time to sleep, think or pray. During the flight I glanced at my PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) for younger folks who now carry fancy phones that fulfill the same and many more functions. There was a flashing reminder that on July 9th Carl and Danford Settles, Sharon's parents, would celebrate their 63rd wedding anniversary. I began to muse at the coincidence of the near proximity of my birth and their marriage.

I will not say this was a Word from God, but an amusing thought came into mind. What if God saw my birth and then moved upon two young people to marry and from that union would come a beautiful young lady named Sharon who would eventually become my wife? When we married some years later three wonderful children would be born to our union and live and minister in Japan. There would then be added two very lovely daughters-in-law. Later five gorgeous grand daughters would follow with outstanding musical ability. Just wondering!

Then this morning Sharon received an email from Japan. It was a 30 year old Japanese young lady named Kikuko. She reminded Sharon that July 9th was her first anniversary of her new birth in Jesus Christ! During this past year she has personally led more than five others to faith in Christ including her 100 year old grandmother who died a couple months ago. Following the above line of reasoning it was interesting that Kikuko received Christ on the same day as Carl and Danford's wedding anniversary.

Read with me what Kind David had to say about his birth and God's involvement in his life even prior to his natural birth.

Ps 139:13-17
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother's womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book! 17 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can't even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me! TLB

Sounds to me like God is very involved in a "hands on" manner in our lives. We really should not spend our time questioning why we were born. God clearly has a plan for our lives. The Bible version above states that each day of our lives was "scheduled" before we exited the birth canal and took our first breath. Let me take a few moments and share with you the rest of Psalms 139 to see how much involved God is in the lives of His children.

Ps 139:1-12, 23-24
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say before I even say it. 5 You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! 7 I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. TLB

What do you think? I reckon we are not here by mistake or by accident. God has a plan. He has a definite purpose for each and every one of us. We may not follow His Will for our lives. We may not even know what His Will is for our lives. But He is there with us every moment of every day just waiting and working on our behalf. So how can we lose?

I think the question has been answered. God arranged the circumstances for you and me to be born on this earth into the families that we have been a part of. He put us in the nations of His Choice. He put the gifts and talents into us as it pleased Him to bring Glory to His Name. He put us with the people around us to bless them and to share His Love. It just seems to me that our potential is virtually limitless. Literally the sky is the limit. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! Amen!

May God bless you as you rejoice in the life He has given to you!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"

Letter from a Weak Person

(The following is a letter written to prisoners in Alabama. It seemed good to share this with others.)

Letter from a Weak Person

Greetings!

I am a missionary to Japan. We first went there over 40 years ago when I was in the US Army. I have a wife, three children and five grandchildren. This letter is being written from the USA. My father-in-law is 85 years old and is very ill right now. I borrowed money from a Japanese friend so that I could fly to the states to help out my wife with her 80 year old mother and father in the nursing home.

At first, I thought it might not be good to write you. You have your own set of problems and troubles to deal with. Why would you want to hear from someone who is struggling too? Then I began to think about the great Apostle Paul who wrote much of the New Testament. Here are portions of scriptures that he wrote:

2 Cor 12:9-10

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. NIV

Rom 7:14-20

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! NIV

I am a missionary and a minister, but feel like I am very weak by my own power. We are struggling about my wife’s father and mother. Our grandchildren are having problems. We are being tried about our financial support. So what good can we do? Is there any way that we can help someone? Some times I think there is nothing for me to go on living for. But as I wrote this letter this morning an email came in from Australia. It was from a minister. He has been fighting non-Hodgkinsons lymphoma for nearly 6 years. He has suffered terribly from the symptoms and treatment. He told me that I am one of his best friends and how much I helped him as a minister.

No matter how weak we are, there is someone else more weak than us. One thing I can do is pray. I have been doing that for more than 55 years and I plan to keep it up until I die or Jesus comes back to take us all to Heaven. So please know I am weak but I am praying for you. You may be weak, but you too can pray for yourself and others too.

No matter what happens don’t give up. Paul was weak but he kept walking. How about it? Let’s agree to keep on walking with God. There will be hard times, but He is with us no matter what we are going through.

God bless you richly!

Dan Corbett

“Reaching One Among Millions”

Flying High!

On The Road and Flying High!

After 40 years of travel it has been good to be home most of the past two years. What a joy to connect with the world over the Internet without leaving home! The past week has been a "departure" from the norm for me. Flying at 37,000 with brisk tailwind pushing the 747-400 up to ground speeds of 700 mph. Now on the road again! We can't drive too far or too fast on an island.

What a joy and privilege to visit with my family briefly for the first time in several years. Great nieces and nephews have been born and are growing. Their parents were small just a couple years ago it seems. Time goes so fast!

All of these are remembered and prayed for daily on my personal prayer list. When I finally get to be with them it is not as great a shock as some might think. That is because they are in my thoughts, in my heart and their names are on my lips every day. When I hug them it is as if it was just yesterday I saw them last even though years have actually past. I can't help sharing my love and passion for God with them regardless of their "spiritual status". They don't seem to be offended. What a privilege to bless them. There are a lot of people young and old going around who need someone to extend them a hand of greeting, give them a hug and then to bless them.

(Don't hug a tree! Hug live people around you while you have the chance)

Got to drive about 4 hours tomorrow. Not looking forward to July 4th traffic, but God can handle that! Just wanted to drop a line and say Hi! Give God just a small praise to someone who will listen.
I also wanted to declare my declaration of Dependence Upon God! He set me free and adopted me into His Family! And now I voluntarily recommit myself to Him! I need You every hour most previous Savior!

May God bless you richly!

Dan Corbett
"Reaching One Among Millions"