Shortly before Peter Doot died at age 92, he said, "I am six-foot-four, and every inch belongs to the Lord." I had known him for 65 years, and I'm sure what he said was true.

As a younger man, Peter had left a well-paying job so he could serve as an evangelist for his church. He made a profound impact on hundreds of lives, even though he had little formal training. When I was 19, he challenged me to witness and to preach the gospel in street-corner meetings.

What made Peter so effective? His way of life. Everybody could clearly see that God was his Master.

The same could be said about the apostle Paul. In Acts 27 we read that when he was a prisoner being taken to Rome, the ship on which he was sailing was being battered by a furious storm. The sailors had given up all hope. But when Paul spoke, everybody listened and was encouraged. Even the Roman centurion followed his instructions. Why? Because it was obvious that Paul was a godly man who was telling the truth. They had good reason to believe him when he spoke of "the God to whom I belong and whom I serve," and when he said there would be no loss of life (vv.22-23).

Let's yield ourselves to God so that we too can say, "Every inch belongs to the Lord."  — Herbert Vander Lugt