Generations come and go

"Generations come, generations go, but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises, the sun sets;
then it speeds to its place and rises there.
The wind blows south,
then it turns north;
the wind blows all around
and keeps returning to its rounds.
All the rivers flow to the sea,
yet the sea is not full;
to the place where the rivers flow,
there they keep on flowing." - Ecclesiastes 1:4-7 (Complete Jewish Bible)

As we take a few moments to ponder these words from Ecclesiastes we are reminded of some wonderful truths:

People come and go, but God remains forever.

God directs the winds, and we have no control of the weather.

The balance of the sea, land and rivers, is so precise that it shouts to us: "God is a genius!"

The older I get, the more I admit that I actually comprehend so very little. This is indeed humbling. It reminds me that I am not in control, but that I can surrender my life to the One who is in control.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

What does it mean to be meek?

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." - Matthew 5:6

In our modern times the word 'Meek' has sadly come to mean: A doormat. Or someone who is spineless, or subservient or even passive. But surely it means more than this? 

It was Aristotle who used the Greek word ‘praus’ (from which we get the word meekness) to describe the happy medium between ‘extreme anger’ and ‘being excessively passive.” He had the habit of defining every virtue by comparing 2 extremes and then resting in the middle of the two in a ‘happy medium.”   

So then, we could paraphrase Matthew 5:6 with these words: “Blessed is the person who is always angry at the right time, and never angry at the wrong time.”

The other usage of the word ‘praus’ is the same as to speak of an animal that has been domesticated - for example, think of a Stallion. It is an animal that has learnt to accept control from its owner, but it also has the power to cause harm if let loose. 

I guess, the main idea behind the word “meek” was strength under control - so, it is therefore not ‘weaknesses at all.

Thought: How does this sit with you? Do you find it easy to find this perfect balance?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Set a watch on my tongue

"Set a watch upon our tongue O Lord, that we may never speak the cruel word, which is untrue; or being true is not the whole truth; or being wholly true, is merciless; for the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen." - William Barclay

We all know the hurt of harsh words spoken by others, especially when there is little understanding of the 'whole' story. Just as we are acutely aware of this pain, so may we then ask God to set a watch on our words, so that we don't inflict pain on others. 

James 1:26 - If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

Living in grace

D3LM3

Fighting the urge to take over

Most of us like to know that we have some control over our lives. There are many of us who like to advise God on how he should be doing things and we would be willing to become God's PA if the post was ever advertised. Sadly (for us), God is never going to need a personal assistant so we are faced with the choice of either letting God be God or trying to be our own Saviour. 

Corallie Buchanan offers us some remarkable insight into our dilemma. She states: "When we look to God as provider, we are surrendering our independence and trusting in someone else to meet our needs, over which we have no control. We need to fight the urge to take over and just let God be God, because He can provide for us better than we can." 

Matthew 10:39 (Living Bible) - “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will save it.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Providence

The timeless issue of Providence has reared it's head again as I have been reflecting on Esther's story. I have to admit that it is not always as simple as some make it out to be. Just as we seem to find a suitable answer for God's Providence, then we are thrown a curve ball of sorts. In order to try and wrestle with Scriptures like the following one, I have turned to a few famous authors to seek their collective wisdom:

Acts 24:2 - Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence... (KJV)

This is what these authors say:

"He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God's providence to lead him alright." - Blaise Pascal

Providence is wonderfully intricate. Ah! You want always to see through Providence, do you not? You never will, I assure you. You have not eyes good enough. You want to see what good that affliction was to you; you must believe it. You want to see how it can bring good to the soul; you may be enabled in a little time; but you cannot see it now; you must believe it. Honor God by trusting Him." - Charles Spurgeon

Nothing whatever, whether great or small, can happen to a believer, without God's ordering and permission. There is no such thing as "chance," "luck" or "accident" in the Christian's journey through this world. All is arranged and appointed by God. And all things are "working together" for the believer's good." - J. C. Ryle

What do you make of Providence? And is there a connection with Predestination in this?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Who is driving?

I came across this lovely piece of writing this past week. It made me think about who is in control of my life? Hope you enjoy it.

“At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized his picture when I saw it, but I really didn’t know Him.

But later on, when I met Christ, It seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal.

I don’t know when it was that he suggested that we change places, but life has not been the same since. When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. . . It was the shortest distance between two points.
But when Jesus took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds, It was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!"

I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn’t answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I’d say "I’m scared," He’d lean back and touch my hand.” - Anon

Who is driving in your life?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

 

Two things that we can control

“The truth is, you and I are in control of only two things:
how we prepare for what might happen and how we respond to what just happened.
The moment when things actually do happen belongs to God.”
― DeVon Franklin

There is some truth in this statement and it reminds me of the lovely words from Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,    and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

Living in Grace
D3LM3