The Lord showed me this verse of Scripture at the beginning of this year. He wanted to let me know that if I would just "place" my loved ones "in His hands," He would keep them "safe and secure" for me. Who are these loved ones of mine? They are the ones who are living apart from God, and for whom I have been earnestly praying for years.

This verse begins by stating, "The confidence of my calling enables me to overcome every difficulty without shame, for I have an intimate revelation of this God." We who have an "intimate revelation" of God know without a doubt that He loves our unbelieving loved ones even more than we do, and He has an even greater desire to see them saved and serving Him.

The rest of this verse says, "And my faith in Him convinces me that He is more than able to keep all that I've placed in His hands safe and secure until the fullness of His appearing." Notice that it is our "faith" in God that "convinces" us that He is "more than able" to keep and protect ALL that we place in His hands - "until the fullness of His appearing." We may not see any visible evidence that the Lord is working in our loved ones' lives, but by faith, we know without a doubt that He is!

If we have a revelation of the one true God, and we have an intimate and eternal relationship with Him, then we can entrust to Him all those loved ones who have turned their backs on Him, or who never believed in Him in the first place.

Don't live another day fretting about your unbelieving loved ones. That won't do you or them a bit of good. Instead, make this the year that you hand them over to the Lord, confident that they are safe and secure in His hands!

Prayer: Lord, today I commit to You all of my unsaved loved ones. Show me how to pray effective prayers for them. Fill me with an unshakable peace, knowing that they are in Your hands, and that You love them even more than I do. Help me to be careful about what I say when they are in my presence. Allow them to see Jesus in me at all times. Thank You for Your promise to save every member of my household because of my faith in Christ! (Acts 16:31)