There is someone today who needs you to stand in the gap and hold their weary arms up. Maybe it is through prayer, a phone call or lending a helping hand. Lord focus our eyes to see the needs that are so prolific around us. Give us the grace to be in-touch, interruptible and intentional so we may walk each other home well. Amen.
I am as inadequate to the world as the world is to me, and when we learn that is as it was designed to be, that is GRACE.
Thankfully this life is not the last chapter. As it is now is not how it will end. For those who have resigned to their insufficiency and submitted to belief in a sufficient God the story ends differently. Our temporary life concludes with an abolishment of pain, suffering, evil, fighting and discontent. These things, the broken things, are all around us and seemingly more prolific every day.
Life isn’t fair, and on the surface of many circumstances God seems an unjust God. That is the treasure of the Bible, however. God’s word warns us of it all, injustices of every kind. Just as we have been apprised of the tragedies of this life so have we been promised a great trust in the next.
The last chapter is ironically the beginning. The beginning of a life free from a world imbued with pain and suffering. We have this great hope, friends. By grace for all those who have believed through faith and not of our own adequacy, (Ephesians 2:8), the crown is ours.
The story has a beautiful ending free of tears and tragedies. The story ends with a new beginning. A beginning that has no ending and cast amidst perfect peace and triumphant joy. Our hope is not here in this frail and fleeting place. For that, we may all rejoice!
After the crucifixion came the resurrection. After the resurrection, the birth of new hope, life and hearts. It marked the abolishment of fear, worry and death. The resurrection was a provision of grace that made it possible for the sin of all those who believe and repent to be wiped away; setting free any condemnation.
I was just asking myself this morning, do I live more from a place of crucifixion or resurrection? Often fear is a frequent but unwelcome guest. Sin is my shameful shadow and circumstances can hollow my heart of hope. This life can easily lead me down a path of crucifixion living.
Heavenly Father, may I never forget the crucifixion, but enable me to live the promises of the resurrection, not just during the Easter season, but through all seasons. Amen.
There is a misconception that Christians should always feel happy and comfortable, but that is untrue. The Bible illustrates this for us with countless stories of struggle. My truth is that many days I feel more ragged than refreshed.
In my distress I cry out, please, Father let there be purpose in this pain. Allow me to understand your plan so my eyes may see with clarity, my ears may hear without strain and my heart may abide without aching. Then, as an obedient daughter and follower of Jesus, I know I must sum up my plea with; your will not mine be done, Father.
And that is hard, but that is holy.
I think, however, when we get to a place in our lives that we can end our prayers as Jesus did just before His death, that is a great blessing. It means our truest heart’s desire is to be operating within the will of God. It is only in the confines of obedience to Him, not self, that we will experience the steadfast joy of the Lord.
I take great comfort from Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10~ Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
As a child I sang it; I am weak, but He is strong. Now as an adult I am accountable to not only understand it but stand under that life-giving truth. That does not mean I am not sad or weary at times. It means I can reflect the character of a loving and faithful Father despite what storms are brewing around me.
Father, thank you for the Bible that shows us time and time again this life is less about happiness and more about holiness. I am grateful for the life of your son, Jesus, who lived a perfect life amidst unimaginable suffering so that we would have a model by which to persevere. You complete us in all the areas we are incomplete. You mend all the places we are broken. You have already written the script of our lives from beginning to end. Every struggle and every success, you know the path and the divine plan. Equip us to rest in your oversight as we sometimes walk very difficult roads. Help us to remember you have adopted us as your children, and we do not have to live as orphans, but as safe, provided for children. Grace, Father. Give us grace for ourselves and grace for all who intersect our lives. Thank you for loving us. Amen.
Last Thursday my son became ill with a severe intestinal bug. I have never seen him struggle with one so fierce. It has been days of cleaning up, changing sheets, throwing away sheets, scrubbing and sanitizing. Also in the adventure was a trip to the ER for IV hydration and medications. Poor guy has been through it. It was no fun for me either.
The first evening when he woke up, he and his bed covered with vomit, I kicked into mom mode. The cleanup was not fun. It encompassed a large span of space. Once I got that cleaned up, there was another bigger mess waiting for me to clean up, and so was the chorus of the next several days. One thing that keep surprisingly capturing my attention was the grace God was giving me in every moment of all the messes. Very briefly on several occasions I wanted to complain. Before the words could even take full root in my mind, much less form from my lips, I found myself praising God instead. I would say this is not the natural bend of my heart, but praising God has quickly become much more my default through no merit of my own, only His.
I was praising God for the opportunity to take care of my son. I was praising Him for the opportunity to clean up, wash and care for my son because just seven months earlier he nearly lost his life in a tragic accident.
When you stand in the shadow of death, you often discover the shelter of gratitude. The mundane in the midst of the messy become little fountains of joy that water your soul in parched places.
I felt the searing sting of near loss, and anything but gratitude naturally felt unnatural. Anything but gratitude felt dishonoring to the deep appreciation purposed from a place of such pain.
Suddenly I was grateful for:
Good mattress protectors, washing machines, latex gloves,
Lysol wipes, Lysol Neutra Air spray, adult pull ups, trash bags, beach towels, two sunny days, windows that open, laughter, lotion, candles, GRACE Oh precious GRACE
and last but not least all of my
sisters in Christ who were persistently sending me texts of prayer and encouragement.
I never before knew the wealth of gratitude ushered by grief. It sounds incongruent until it is your reality. I am very thankful for the beauty born for brokenness. I am very thankful for the surprising mercies of God’s grace. Thank you, Lord for allowing me to find the splendor wrapped in the struggle of the last six days.
As a woman, growing in grace means when someone gives us a compliment, we do not dismiss it. We do not tell them why we do not look pretty, are not a good cook, do not have a kind heart, have not lost weight…Grace enables us to embrace the compliment with a humble, soft, “thank you.” Then we allow those words to settle into our souls and realize, yes, I am those things because that is how God created me. Sure we have moments when we do not like ourselves; everyone does. Those moments, however, should be fleeting. We become who we think we are, so we must allow ourselves to be a friend’s compliment! This is one of the hardest things to do for all of us, but let’s change that today! May we all be humbly adorned in the unique gifts God placed within each of us today and all days ahead!
A religion is defined by rules, a relationship by righteousness. Religion focuses on practices; a relationship focuses on purpose. A religion nurtures obligations; a relationship nourishes obedience. Guidelines are the foundations of religion. Grace is the foundation of a relationship. Religion is typically acquired from childhood; relationships tend to be acquiesced from crisis. It was when I met pain that I lost the details of a religion and gained the depth of a relationship. That made all the difference!
1 John 5:20~ And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.
I have been reading James the last few mornings, and pondering the power of the tongue. It is the strongest muscle we possess, capable of delivering life or death in a matter of moments.
My prayer today:
Father, divorcing love from truth is to engage cruelty. Divorcing truth from love is to enable a charade. Your word teaches love and truth are meant to be united, always. This is the only way to speak to the core of truth without wounding the core of a person. When days get busy, to-do lists get long and chaos ensues, Father I have a tendency to not be a good steward of my tongue. When I hold in frustration too long or don’t address matters promptly, the pressure builds just waiting for the prime moment to explode, leaving words of hot, burning ash to fall on someone I love. Never do I want this, Father. Give me the wisdom and patience to hold my tongue until my heart and soul are settled not seething. Jesus, give me the grace to tame my tongue, always using it to build people up, never to break them down. Then in the moments when I fail, and you already know this of me, I will, prick my heart towards prompt repentance that is the precursor for grace lending rest. Amen.
Sometimes I do not understand the Lord’s ways, but I trust His wisdom.
Sometimes I am impatient with His tempo, but I believe in His timing.
Sometimes I do not like His answers, but I accept His authority.
Sometimes I am uncomfortable with His silence, but I agree in His sovereignty.
Sometimes I am hesitant to His callings, but I am confident in His character.
I do not deserve His grace, but I understand His gospel.
Always, thank you, Jesus that none of it is dependent upon me.