Keeping company with God

Prayer is fundamentally about a fostering a deep relationship with God. As Clement of Alexandria described it: "prayer is happy company with God.”

One of the greatest compliments we could ever be given is that we are people who keep company with God. Enoch was one of these people and it was mentioned that he walked faithfully with God.

Genesis 5:24 - "Enoch walked faithfully with God..."

Philip Yancey added another dimension to these powerful words by suggesting that 'prayer means keeping company with a God who is already present."

Action: How are you able to keep company with God today?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Quote for the week

                                            

One of the thoughts from today's message that will stay with me this week is this quote from Philip Yancey: “Life is difficult. God is merciful. Heaven is sure.”

If you think about these words in line with everything that we go through then it makes complete sense. Our lives are faced with many difficult situations, but thankfully God is always merciful. As believers we also keeping looking forward to spending eternity in the presence of God - Heaven is sure!

I am not sure how you feeling about this quote from Philip Yancey, but I pray it offers some hope for you today.

Luke 6:36 - "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Choosing to be hurt

Most of us try to avoid getting hurt. Being hurt is not pleasant and it leaves all kinds of physical and emotional scars. On the topic of hurt, Philip Yancey wrote:

"Whatever else we may say about it, the atonement fulfils the Jewish principle that only one who has been hurt can forgive. At Calvary, God chose to hurt."

I find those words deeply moving and they remind us that God chose to HURT for our brokenness. When Jesus asked his Father to forgive us, it was from his place of incredible pain.

Luke 6:28 - Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Peg This

Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” - Matthew 22:37-40

Peg these words onto your heart for 2017 and may it go well with your soul. Let us strive to love God with all our passion, energy, prayer and intelligence.

"One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as “those evil people” or “those poor people who need our help.” Nor must we search for signs of “loveworthiness.” Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are." -Philip Yancey

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Trying to define FAITH

It is so hard to try and define FAITH. We have so many neat and simple answers to this complex issue and often these definitions leave us feeling a little short-changed. Today, I came across a 'good' workable understanding of faith and I want to share it with you. It comes from one of my favourite authors, Philip Yancey:

"I have learnt that faith means trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse."

Perhaps you need to read it again and when you read it a second time, think of a time in your life where this has proven to be true. Faith means trusting in God, despite what the evidence around us suggests. One day we will be blessed to look back and see how God's hand has moved in our lives.

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." -

Saint Augustine

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible." -Thomas Aquinas

I am not sure if you have a definition that works for you, but if are keen to share it with me, please comment on this post or send me an email.

Living in Grace
D3LM3