Stand firm in this grace

There are so many things that threaten our peace of mind, spirit and lives. It can be extreme weather conditions, like we are experiencing at the moment; challenges at work or in your family; financial strain or even worries about the future.

So, when these waves break over you, how do you manage to stand firm? What do you do? Who do you hold onto? I have been reminded again and again that the best way for me to stay strong, is to rest in the Grace of God. 

2 Chronicles 20:20 - Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm.

Psalm 33:11 - But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.

1 Corinthians 16:13 - Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

1 Peter 5:12 - My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.

Prayer: Lord, help me to lean upon your amazing grace and so then, to stand firm in the peace that you give to us. Amen.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Drawing straight lines with crooked sticks

 

After our church services on Sunday, one of my friends shared this intriguing quote with me. He was speaking in the context of how God's divine plans are carried out by fallible human beings. 

"God can strike a straight stroke by a crooked stick." - Thomas Watson, English Puritan (also used by Martin Luther and Ignatius Loyola) 

These words came back to me today as I was reading Matthew 1:7, noting that Rehoboam's son, Abijah was not the best of kings. He was not fully committed to the Lord and did some wicked things. In many ways, he becomes an interesting ancestor of Jesus.

"But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.” – Psalm 33:11

Advent reminds me that God chose to use 'ordinary' people to accomplish his extra-ordinary purposes. We can never deny the eventual outcome of God's plans. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Don't count on your Warhorse!

                                                     

^"The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory— for all its strength, it cannot save you." - Psalm 33:16-17

When we turn to signs of human strength and power to gain our glory or salvation, we will only set ourselves up for disappointment. Every ruler on earth, no matter how successful they were or how good/evil, they all had to relinquish their thrones and kingdoms in the end. Every one of them! Look at this brief list as an example:

•   Alexander the Great
•  Napoleon
• Julius Cesar
• Genghis Khan 
•  Hannibal
• Charlemagne
• Attila the Hun
• Sun Tzu

·       We can add many modern people onto this list – even those who have made the world a troubled place in the last 100 years.

If our strategy is to try and build up the biggest, strongest, mightiest Kingdom in all the world, we should learn from history. No matter how much gold went into establishing these kingdoms, or the cost of human lives, or the number of horses and weapons in their armoury - it was all handed over to someone else in the end.

Where are we putting our faith and trust?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Do you want to be noticed or overlooked?

Would you rather be noticed by God or overlooked by God?

It may seem like a strange question to ask, but when we read the words of the Psalmist they speak of how God watches over us. This idea can be very reassuring for some people, but for others it can also be very disconcerting.

Psalm 34:15 – The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right…

Psalm 33:13-15

The Lord looks down from heaven
    and sees the whole human race.
From his throne he observes
    all who live on the earth.
He made their hearts,
    so he understands everything they do.

I am very happy to know that God watches over us. There was a time when it used to make me feel very inferior and nervous, but now I feel the 'glow' of knowing that God loves us enough to care for us. Of course, we know that God doesn't only live in the 'clouds' but that God is Omnipresent, but it is the simplicity of the image that should bring us comfort. 

Thoughts? 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Fragile plans

Life teaches us that all of our best made plans are merely fragile attempts at ordering our lives. 

"But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." - Psalm 33:11

When the Psalmist wrote these words I wonder what was going through his mind and what was happening all around him?

We have come back from an interesting trip to KwaZulu-Natal, that began as a celebration, but ended up with a huge dose of stress, anxiety and uncertainty. The whole experience has reminded me that often our best made plans don't come to fruition, but does that mean we shouldn't even make plans? Well, I believe that we all need (have to) make plans, but we also need to realise that we have to surrender these 'ideals' into the hands of our loving God. 

When I reflect on Psalm 33, I believe that the plans of the Lord that David was speaking about refer to the 'heart' of God and not necessarily how this will unfold. 

What I mean is this: 

I see it that God has always planned to show us his love, mercy and grace and this 'plan/purpose' will never change, even if circumstances change around us. God's plan of redemption will stand forever and so will the purposes of God's heart. This reassures us that 'come what may' God will not change his mind about how he loves us.

What do you think?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

33 - The Cheer

Why do we find it natural to Cheer for our favourite sports teams or musicians, but when it comes to worshipping God we seem to fall silent? You can even attend a school sports event and hear the wonderful cheers and war cries from the students. They all offer support and encouragement to their team mates. It is a fantastic thing to hear.

Sadly, we have developed a notion that 'quietly' praising God (and there is nothing wrong with this) is the only acceptable form of worship. However, there is also a call for us to CHEER for the Lord. The Psalms are the call for us to Cheer for Yahweh.

^1-3 Good people, cheer God!
    Right-living people sound best when praising.
Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs!
    Play his praise on a grand piano!
Invent your own new song to him;    give him a trumpet fanfare." - Psalm 33 (Message)

I am sure that God doesn't mind how we "CHEER" for him, but it does bless God when we actually put some energy into it. So, if you prefer to use your voice, or guitar or grand-piano then use these things to Cheer for God.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Three things are needed

“Three things are necessary for the salvation of man:
 to know what he ought to believe; 
to know what he ought to desire;
and to know what he ought to do.” - Thomas Aquinas

So, how are you going on these 3 things?
Do you know what you should be believing?
Do you know what you should be desiring?
Do you know what you need to do?

Psalm 33:20-22 - We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need. What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name. Love us, God, with all you’ve got— that’s what we’re depending on.

Living in Grace
D3LM3