Category: grace

Give: To Enter Wholeheartedly

For from his fullness 
we have all received, 
grace upon grace.
(John 1:16 ESV)



It may seem a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but the giving and receiving season will be here before we know it. I love gifts. And I love giving them. Finding that special something that expresses my love to my family and friends brings me great joy.

I really like the idea from 3o Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time, where Pam Farrel invites us to consider what gift we could give to God as the season approaches and into the next year:

Each year at Christmas I like to take a quiet time and consider what gift I’d like to give God in the next year. Sometimes it’s a monetary donation to an organization that will help the Bible get integrated into people’s lives. Sometimes it’s a spiritual commitment that will help the Bible get better applied to my own heart.

Here is a list of specific ideas, Pam suggests:

Send a gift to the person who led you to Christ or discipled you.

Send a gift to the church(es) that have helped you grow.

Thank a school teacher.

Send a gift to a helping ministry like a crisis pregnancy clinic, a battered woman’s shelter, a rescue mission…

Send Bibles to places and peoples in need.

Send a kid to camp. 

©Pam Farrel from 30 Ways to Wake Up Your Quiet Time (IVP). For more devotional books by Pam http://www.Love-wise.com


What gift will you give God this Christmas?
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Ennui: A Feeling of Weariness




Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

(Matthew 11:28-30 The Message)
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Empty: Lacking Reality, Substance, Meaning or Value

“And do not turn aside after empty things
that cannot profit or deliver,
for they are empty.”
1 Samuel 12: 21 ESV
Empty nesters, a phrase applied to a couple whose children have flown the coop. I resist the label. This season doesn’t feel as empty as I thought it would. My life is full with both joy and angst. Really nothing has changed, except the circumstances.

These days, I have more time to contemplate my tendency to chase emptiness. How can empty things be so appealing? As God told the Israelites through Samuel, “Empty things are empty. They don’t gain you anything and they definitely cannot deliver you from the emptiness that you have been running away from.” The Israelites had been delivered from bondage in Egypt, moved into the Promised Land, got distracted by the local gods, then cycled through their judges like fans and their American idols.

They tired of God and the judges, so they asked Samuel for a king. Samuel consulted with God, who told him the downside of having a king. But if his people were bent on having a king, he’d give them one, and so started the cycle of kings.

In Samuel 12, Samuel confronts the Israelites one last time about their tendency to worship other gods, and their foolish desire to have a king. A surprising twist in the narrative finds me marveling at God’s frankness about their sin, and His gracious desire to remain in relationship with His wayward ones.

And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.  For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” (1 Samuel 12: 19-25 ESV)

Basically, God says “Yes, you have done all this evil, but I really want you to follow me. Return to me and stop chasing emptiness. I have loved you with an everlasting love, and I am drawing you back with cords of kindness. I will not give up on you; however, if you go back to your wicked ways, there will be consequences.”

God tells us the truth and He gives us the way out. He loves us and He warns us where the empty life leads…to separation and destruction.

Oh, how I want to turn aside from emptiness and chase the One who is “full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 ESV)


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More: A Greater Quantity, Number or Amount

Monday Musings

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:19-20 NIV


Last week, I was sitting in my chair staring into space. I must admit, I was having a silent pity party. Lamenting over disappointments and discouragements, basically despairing because I didn’t think God was listening or answering or even noticing how things have been going here on earth lately. I was entertaining hopelessness. Just at that moment, I looked up at the wall across the room. On this wall is a plaque with words.

About halfway down the list of exhortations on the wall hanging, one phrase states: “Hope more.”
 
 

 I laughed nervously to myself, and then confessed to God that I really haven’t been hoping much at all. My faith falters, my life languishes and I am plain weary of waiting for something new or good to happen.

After that little tirade, the phone rang and it was my mom with some hopeful ideas for a trying situation. The directive to hope more, bubbled up inside. Maybe God was listening after all. Maybe He does really care. And what He really cares about more than my happiness or the right answer is that I know and believe and trust His love.

May this day bring you a greater awareness of God’s hope and more grace than you can imagine.

 

 
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Running the Race

Monday Musings

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

Acts 20:24 NIV

Earlier this summer I made a decision. I agreed to do a biathlon. I completed a 5K run on my birthday weekend, so my next  step was to do a 5 mile run/22 mile bike race, right? A pretty big jump, but I was up to the challenge. Of course, now as September 16th draws nearer, I’m not so confident.

With the race being a couple weekends away, I determined that this week, I would continue my training. That means I should be running at least every other day, as well as squeeze in some bike time. Alrighty then, here I go.

Last night I set the alarm for 6:00am, rolled out of bed by 6:15am and was out the door running by 6:30am. It was a good run and as often happens while I run; thoughts churn through my idea generating mind. I mulled over familiar Scriptures, tried to pick up a strain of a praise song. These thoughts are sort of like stream of consciousness prayer.

At one point, I was remembering a phrase from a worship song (I think) that went something like this: “God is God, and I am not.” Good reminder. I started smiling inside. Then this little rift of rhyming phrases ran through my mind as praise to God: “You sustain me, maintain me, retain me and explain me.” I almost giggled out loud. God explains me. That’s a good one. I repeated the phrase to myself, so as to remember it when I came home. These words give me something to chew on and look up definitions for more revelation later.

As I directed my steps around the block one last time, I passed a women walking. On the back of her shirt there was a cross logo and the words “Running the Race,” just the encouragement I needed to power up the last hill towards home and a cool down walk.
 
All praise to the One who sustains, maintains, retains and explains us. Thanks be to God!

 

 

 

 
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