Listen to the Silence

 

"The word LISTEN contains the same letters as the word SILENT." - Alfred Brendel

Sometimes we just need to be silent in order to listen to the voice of God. That may mean even stopping our 'shopping list' prayers and simply standing in the presence of Jesus.

Stop!

Be Still!

LISTEN.....

Luke 10:39 - "She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said."

Proverbs 18:33 -  "To answer before listening— that is folly and shame."

Have we got into the unhealthy habit of speaking too much? Perhaps it is time to listen to what God is saying to us?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Creating Memories

Thanks for the emails enquiring where the blogs have been - I have been on leave for a few days, so sorry about the lack of 'Living in Grace' over the past week. Spending time with Kim and the kids is such a special time and I am truly grateful to get to create memories with them all.

After all, 'time' is the only commodity we can never truly pay for - we all get the same number of hours in a day, but we need to choose how to use each hour. If you an opportunity to create a special memory today, then I urge you to do just that! Don't hesitate - just do it.

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,
the things you are, the things you never want to lose." - Kevin Arnold

"So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart,
I shall say that life is good." - Helen Keller

2 Peter 1:13 -"I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body..."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

True Humility

What is true humility?

There are many definitions and complex answers to this question, but I still think that C.S.Lewis is on to something when he says, 

...“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”

The Apostle Paul also has some great things to say on this topic...


Philippians 2:3 - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves..."

Colossians 3:12 - "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Put a lid on it!

This morning I went to put some spread on a slice of bread and I nearly dropped the bottle. One of the kids had kindly not put the lid on properly, but after a little juggling I managed to save the spread.

We have all used the saying "put a lid on it" before. It implies that we want someone to stop talking or just to be quiet! It can also mean that we need to suppress some gossip or to clamp down on some unsavoury things that are starting to get out of hand.

I suppose one could also use it in the context of cooking. Putting a lid on a pot can help prevent things from boiling over or hot oil splashing onto your hands. If you use a Weber to braai your meat, then putting the lid on the Weber helps to keep the flames from getting out of hand.

So, are there things in your life that are threatening to get out of hand?
What things are potentially boiling over in your personal life?
Is it time to put a lid on some of these issues and to ask God to calm the situation?

Proverbs 25:28 - Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.

2 Peter 1: 5-7 -   For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

When the Love runs out.

There is a popular song at the moment called "When the love runs out!" It is written and produced by One Republic and these are some of the words of the song:

"I'll be your light, your match, your burning sun,
I'll be the bright, in black that's makin' you run.
And we'll feel alright, and we'll feel alright,
'Cause we'll work it out, yeah we'll work it out.
I'll be doin' this, if you had a doubt,
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out."

The first time I heard the song I was fascinated by the phrase "until the love runs out". It was only after I checked the lyrics of the song did I understand the context of these words. The song suggests that one person will do all they can to love their partner - and that they will keep pouring out their love until the love runs out.

I am reminded that even though Jesus loved us until the end of his life, his love has never run out. God's love is unquenchable - it is never ending. God will always keep loving, even when we turn our backs on him.

1 Corinthians 13:8 -  Love never fails.

Psalm 100:5 - For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Keep loving others because God keeps loving you :)

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Who are your Heroes of Faith?

Trying to make a list of the influential heroes of the Christian faith is a tough exercise. If you have never thought about it, who would be in your top 5. Which five people have shaped your Christian faith in such a way that you would refer to them as Heroes of the Faith?

I realise that a lot of the people I look up to are no longer alive. Many of them shaped the History of the Church and were hugely influential in their generations. Take for example, people like Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Anthony the Great, Thomas Aquinas, John Wesley, Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jim Elliot, Corrie Ten Boom, Mother Theresa .... the list goes on.

Someone that I often quote is Thomas a Kempis and so undoubtedly I would call him a "hero of the faith" for me. Another one would be C.S. Lewis and even Charles Spurgeon. Wow, it is hard to narrow them down to just a handful.

The Bible has a great list of some heroes of Faith. You can find it in chapter 11 of Hebrews. Take a read of that list when you get a moment.

Please let me know who you consider to be a hero of the faith. I would love to hear from you.

"This embrace of God sets ablaze a fire within the soul with which the whole soul burns for Christ. It also produces a light so great that the soul understands the fullness of God's goodness, which it experiences in itself, and which is, moreover, much greater than the soul's experience of it. The effect then of this fire within the soul is to render it certain and secure that Christ is within it. And yet, what we have said is nothing in comparison to what this experience really is." - Angela of Foligno

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Saving Grace

We hear the phrase 'saving grace' often. It is usually mentioned in the context of someone helping us out of a fix ("you are my saving grace") or of a redeeming feature in something or someone. Here is what the Collins dictionary has to say about it:

"A saving grace is a good quality or feature in a person or thing that prevents them from being completely bad or worthless.  ⇒ His sense of humour is his saving grace.

In the Bible, Paul leads us to another definition of 'saving grace.'

Romans 3:23-24
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Through the gift of Jesus none of us is ever worthless. He becomes our saving grace and offers us the hope we all desperately need.

Arrow Prayer for today:
Thank you Jesus that you are my saving Grace. We would be lost without your mercy, love and forgiveness. Show me how I can be a 'saving grace' to others.

Living in Grace
D3LM3