We Are Never In Checkmate With Our King

Checkmate is a situation in the game of chess, when a person’s king is in check with no possible way of escape. But followers of Jesus Christ can never be in checkmate- God always has a way of escape no matter what mess we may find ourselves in.

As the new year begins, many people look back on the past year and assess the things that went well and what could have been done better. Maybe you are in a marriage that seems to have no hope, others have weight issues that have gotten so far out of control that desperation has set in. Others have hidden addictions that have taken over their lives. Others are drowning in debt and still others have reached their goals yet live lives of quiet desperation. Whatever seemingly hopeless situation we may find ourselves in – there is one final move we can make to solve our issues. We can accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He is the only King above all kings and can “work all things out for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”(Rom 8:28)

Our King Always Has Another Move Out of Checkmate

Our King is unlimited and with His hand on our life, He can direct us to change our life trajectory. Instead of using our intellect to plan our way out of a difficult situation, we surrender to the Lord who then will take the wheel and steer our life on back on solid ground.

Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord, means we agree that we do not have all the answers and we need His guiding hand. Then the Holy Spirit goes to work to nudge our conscience so that we are aware that we need to change course because we are off track.

Accepting Jesus As Your Personal Savior Takes Us Out Of Checkmate

If you have never accepted Jesus as your personal Savior it would be the best move of this new year, and the best move of your life. It starts with this simple prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I acknowledge I am a sinner and I desire to turn from this way of life. Holy Spirit come into my heart and empower me to change my life to one that is pleasing you- I want you to be my Lord and Savior.”

The deep meaning of this prayer is that we have decided we can’t be kind, perfect and do all things well and within His will, without His supernatural help. Taking Christ as our Lord means we will follow His teachings. Taking Jesus as our Savior means we believe He came to this earth as the sacrificial lamb, killed for our sins so that we can spend eternity with Him.

This prayer begins our journey towards the purpose God has for our lives. We may choose our career independently of God but we cannot choose our purpose- the reason why we were created. Our purpose can only be revealed to us through a relationship with our Creator- the Lord Jesus Christ.

A relationship starts with communication and since we are privy to God’s Word, we are privy to His will. The new Testament is the Last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ. Not everyone on this earth has access to this powerful and sacred book that can change even the most desperate life.

When we start to read the Bible, it is best to do it consistently. This would be a great New Year’s Resolution- perhaps 15 minutes a day, and a good place to start is in the book of Proverbs. This book of 31 Proverbs will take us through the entire month. Then we can move on or reread it next month. Whatever way we choose, simply reading the Bible starts a line of communication going between the Lord and us.

After you have settled into this new daily routine, joining a non denominational church that teaches out of the Bible would be the best next step. Attending church in person will solidify what we have learned in our independent study and bring us into community with like minded people- our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The New Year is a great time to make your next move out of what some see as a “checkmate” position in life. But with the Lord as our Savior, we can move beyond any difficulty into a life of fruitfulness and joy in His presence.

Food For Thought,

Lisa