Let us not rush through the story

It is barely 10 days since Easter Sunday, and I feel that many of us have simply rushed through the Resurrection story and had gone back to 'life as normal.' However, it shouldn't be this way! The news of Christ's resurrection makes sure that our lives are anything but normal. We are offered the gift of transformation and the chance to begin again. This is an everyday gift and one that should bring hope into our worlds. 

"Resurrection is the announcement that life cannot ultimately be conquered by death, that there is strength added when the labors increase, that multiplied peace matches multiplied trials, that life is bottomed by the glad surprise." - Howard Thurman 

What gift does the Resurrection offer you right now? Is there some grief in your heart that needs the light of Jesus to shine on?

Acts 23:6 - I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead (Paul). 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Within, without

What happens when we spend time in the presence of God? Do we hear a still small voice? Do we encounter the living God? Does God inspire us to sing, write, pray or act?

During a time of personal devotion Howard Thurman wrote this response to God's prompting:

"There is a sense of wholeness at the core of man
That must abound in all he does;
That marks with reverence his ev’ry step;
That has its sway when all else fails;
That wearies out all evil things;
That warms the depth of frozen fears
Making friend of foe,
Making love of hate,
And lasts beyond the living and the dead,
Beyond the goals of peace, the ends of war!
This man seeks through all his years:
To be complete and of one piece, within, without." (The Inward Journey)

Which sentence speaks to you today?

Mine is "that warms the depth of frozen fears."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Strength to overcome

                                                    

In a brilliant piece of writing Howard Thurman reflects on his own need of God’s strength to overcome the evil temptations in his own life. His poem is entitled I seek the strength to overcome evil, and is one of the most vulnerable and honest pieces I have read for a while.

As you read this, I invite you to make these words your prayer and to ask God to give you the strength to overcome the barriers in your life.

“I seek the strength to overcome the tendency to evil in my own heart.

I recognize the tendency to do the unkind thing when the mood of retaliation or revenge rides high in my spirit;

I recognize the tendency to make others a means to my own end;

I recognized the tendency to yield to fear and cowardice when fearlessness and courage seem to fit easily into the pattern of my security.

I seek the strength to overcome the tendency to evil in my own heart.

I seek the strength to overcome the evil that is present all about me.

I recognize the evil in much of the organized life around me;

I recognize the evil in the will to power as found in groups, institutions and individuals;

I recognize the terrible havoc of hate and bitterness which make for fear and panic in the common life.

I seek the strength to overcome the evil that is present all about me.

I seek the strength to overcome evil; I must not be overcome by evil.

I seek the purification of my own heart, the purging of my own motives;

I seek the strength to withstand the logic of bitterness, the terrible divisiveness of hate, the demonic triumph of the conquest of others.

What I seek for myself I desire with all my heart for friend and foe alike.

I seek the strength to overcome evil.”

Psalm 119:133 - Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Calming presence - part 2

                                            

As we follow on from yesterday's post, which included an insightful devotion from Howard Thurman (Meditations of the Heart), let us take note of his insight into anxiety and how it impacts upon our relationship with God.

"One thing I know concerning my anxieties: they are real to me.

Sometimes they seem more real than the presence of God.

When this happens, they dominate my mood and possess my thoughts.

The presence of God does not always deliver me from anxiety but it always delivers me from anxieties. Little by little, I am beginning to understand that deliverance from anxiety

means fundamental growth in spiritual character and awareness.

It becomes a quality of being, emerging from deep within,

giving to all the dimensions of experience a vast immunity against being anxious.

A ground of calm underlies experiences whatever may be the tempestuous character of events.

This calm is the manifestation in life of the active,

dynamic Presence of God. God is present with me this day." - Howard Thurman

Again the words in bold are my 'take home' from his devotion. As you read his words, coupled with the life-giving gift of the Scriptures, may God's Spirit fill you with peace.

Mark 4:39 - "He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm."

Jeremiah 17:7-8 - “But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

God is present - part 1

Howard Thurman wrote a delightful piece on the presence of God during times of difficulty. What I love about this short devotion is that it is so real and honest - I can relate to so much of what he says. His thoughts are not just a theory, but things he has grappled with and lived through himself.

As you read these words today, may you feel the presence of God with you.

(I am going to post his thoughts over 2 days as they are really good and I feel that we may lose the greater impact in trying to squeeze a long paragraph into one days worth of devotion. The line that stands out for me today is highlighted in bold. Which line is your 'take away' line?

"God is present with me this day.

God is present with me in the midst of my anxieties.

I affirm in my own heart and mind the reality of His presence.

He makes immediately available to me the strength of His goodness,

the reassurance of His wisdom and the heartiness of His courage.

My anxieties are real; they are the result of a wide variety of experiences,

some of which I understand, some of which I do not understand."

Psalm 46:1 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Psalm 14:5 - "But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Lord, open unto me...

Lord, Lord, Open Unto Me
Open unto me, light for my darkness

Open unto me, courage for my fear

Open unto me, hope for my despair

Open unto me, peace for my turmoil

Open unto me, joy for my sorrow

Open unto me, strength for my weakness

Open unto me, wisdom for my confusion

Open unto me, forgiveness for my sins

Open unto me, tenderness for my toughness

Open unto me, love for my hates

Open unto me, Thy Self for myself

Lord, Lord, open unto me!

- Howard Thurman.

Living in Grace
D3LM3