Tomorrow is Saint Patrick’s Day, although we seem to celebrate all weekend with fun and festivities. Somehow though we seem to forget to celebrate the life of this man, which through the power of God was amazing. He wasn’t Irish, his birth name wasn’t Patrick and he didn’t drive any snakes out of Ireland. So why do the Irish celebrate him? Because his heart held a love for the Irish people that came from God alone. When he was 16, living a life of a wealthy family, he and two of his friends we taken as slaves by Irish raiders. For 6 years he lived in Ireland as a shepherd and in those lonely hours out in the fields and homesick he came to have an amazing relationship with God. Through dreams and prayer, Patrick was sustained by God’s grace and presence which eventually led him to be able to escape back to Britain.
Once home, his heart was restless and he kept feeling a draw back to the Irish people to share his love for the Lord and His Word. So he went to school to become an Evangelist. No matter how he tried to forget Ireland, he just couldn’t because in his time there, God had planted their need for God in his heart, and so he went back. This time instead of a slave, he returned as a missionary, to tell of God’s love to those who had enslaved him. Not every one was happy he was back and his life was often in danger, but with God’s protection and love he blessed the Irish people by showing them who Jesus truly was by how he lived. We could say because of the obedience of St. Patrick, the Irish people found the salvation of Jesus Christ.
We can learn some lessons from St. Patrick, because just as God worked in his life, He still works in similar ways today. Nothing in our lives are left to chance, God has a perfect plan, not just for ourselves, but for the good and salvation of many.
It is true that you planned to do something bad to me. But really, God was planning good things. God’s plan was to use me to save the lives of many people. And that is what happened. Genesis 50:20
If you would like to know more about beginning a relationship with Jesus like St. Patrick had, go to About Us and click on “Beginning a Relationship”
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