The mess it creates

We witnessed something today that revealed exactly how sin messes with God's created order. As I was taking the boys home in the car, we were caught in a slight traffic jam. The cause of the jam was a vehicle trying to make an illegal right turn across a busy intersection -all of this in peak hour traffic!

Needless to say he wasn't able to do it quickly as cars sped past, in both directions. His actions caused frustration and irritation with many drivers, until eventually someone got out their car to explain to the guy that he was doing something illegal and that in the process, he was causing a back-log of traffic.

In my mind, this is exactly what sin does - it causes havoc for a whole lot of people, not just the person steering the 'vehicle.' I may think that my actions are personal and only influencing my world, but I don't always see the trail of destruction that is left behind. For this reason, God doesn't condone sin - it destroys the sinner, as well as impacting innocent bystanders.

Romans 2:5 - But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself.

Acts 17:30 - “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him."

What do you think?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

No Shortcuts

"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formula's for a successful life that can be practised in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way of life - to God - is vigorous and requires total attention." - Matthew 7: 13-14 (MSG)

Friends, we are so caught up in trying to do things quickly and often looking for a shortcut to success, but FAITH doesn't work like that. As Eugene Peterson puts it "there are no shortcuts to God" and if we want to follow Christ, then we need to recognise that this will take up our full attention, not just a part of our lives. After all, we use the phrase, "I give my LIFE to the Lord" - we don't say, "I will give one hour to Jesus!"

If you take shortcuts, you get cut short. - Gary Busey

What do you think?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Proverbs 16

I love this Proverb. It speaks to me on so many levels.

"We can make our own plans,
    but the Lord gives the right answer.

² People may be pure in their own eyes,
    but the Lord examines their motives.

³ Commit your actions to the Lord,
    and your plans will succeed.

⁴ The Lord has made everything for his own purposes."

 May we commit our actions to the Lord and leave the "success" of those actions in the hands of God.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Chased by dogs

This afternoon on my run I was chased by dogs, on two separate times. It was fine in the end because the dogs were small enough to out stare (and run), but it would have been interesting if they had been any bigger.

David knew what it was like to be chased by 'dogs', except the dogs that hounded him were actually people. This is what he wrote:

Psalm 59:6 -They come out at night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets.

He also said: "My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet." - Psalm 22:16

This last Psalm was of course the Psalm that Jesus recited from the cross. I am sure that Jesus also felt troubled by the 'dogs' of humanity, as they grouped around him snarling and jeering at him.

So the next time you feel that people are coming for you, remember that both Jesus and David understand your situation. Why don't you read Psalm 22 and Psalm 59 to go deeper into this devotion for today?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Is this you?

I came across a stat the other day that was quite interesting. It claimed that:

87% of the current work force don't like their work.

80% of people feel they don’t use their talents on a daily basis.

Is this you? Do you feel the same way?
If this is how you feel then what are you willing to do to change the situation?

I firmly believe that Life is far too short to spend over 80% of our lives hating our jobs or not using our God-given gifts. Everyday I realise how blessed I am to do what I love and what motivates me.

Colossians 3:23 - "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."

Anyway, that's what I think anyway.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

God blesses

These words have to be the most powerful, yet often forgotten words of Jesus. Read them slowly and thoughtfully.

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
⁴ God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth.
⁶ God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
    for they will be satisfied.
⁷ God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
⁹ God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
¹⁰ God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

¹¹ “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you

 and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.  

¹² Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.

 And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. (Matthew 5 - The Message)

May God bless you today.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Do some fishing

Sometimes we just need to do a little Fishing! 

Well, to be more specific – we just need to do a little casting. Everyone of us is invited to ‘cast’ all our cares onto the Lord and to trust that he will sustain us through all the issues we are facing. 

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;

He will never let the righteous fall.” – Psalm 55:22

What an awesome promise, don't you think?

So, how about it then? Are you tired of trying to do everything alone? Why don’t you cast your cares onto Jesus and see what happens?

Living in Grace

D3LM3