A bold and honest prayer

In preparing for the season of Advent we take a look at numerous scriptures. One of these is from the Psalms and I just love the boldness of David's prayer. It is a sure sign that he trusted in the goodness of his God, despite his own shortcomings. David knew that God's love and faithfulness did not depend on his (David's) ability to be good or perfect. 

"Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old." - Psalm 25:4-6

I urge us all to carve out some time in the busyness of Advent - we will be better off for asking the Lord to show us his ways; to seek his mercy and to know his steadfast love.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Simply Absurd!

 

"It is simply absurd to say you believe, or even want to believe, in Him, if you do not do anything He tells you." - George MacDonald

Nineteen century preacher and writer George MacDonald had an incredible way with words. In just a few of his quotes we get to see the depth of the man, as well as his remarkable faith. Here are a few examples of his thinking. It is my prayer that these words would inspire us all to live Godly lives, especially as we begin to move into the season of advent.

Forgiveness unleashes joy. It brings peace. It washes the slate clean. It sets all the highest values of love in motion.

God is nearer to you than any thought or feeling of yours... Do not be afraid.

Deuteronomy 4:7 - "For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

If you were a King?

The author A.A. Milne wrote an intriguing poem called: If I were King? Although this poem is nothing like his famous Winnie the Pooh stories, it does pose and interesting question? 

"I often wish I were a King,

And then I could do anything.

If only I were King of Spain,
I'd take my hat off in the rain.

If only I were King of France,
I wouldn't brush my hair for aunts.

I think, if I were King of Greece,
I'd push things off the mantelpiece.

If I were King of Norroway,
I'd ask an elephant to stay.

If I were King of Babylon,
I'd leave my button gloves undone.

If I were King of Timbuctoo,
I'd think of lovely things to do.

If I were King of anything,
I'd tell the soldiers, "I'm the King!"

While we understand that his poem was created for a little fun, the last 2 lines make for interesting reading. Is it not true that the kind of Ruler (King or Queen) we are accustomed too, is the person who likes to make their authority known. Telling people, "I am the King!"

When we compare this behaviour with that of Jesus, we see a stark contrast in attitude. For most of his ministry Jesus spoke of a new kingdom, but he never bragged about his title. Even when he was questioned by Pilate, it seemed that Jesus was trying to get Pilate to see that this kingdom was very different. 

Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

"He is a king who fears nothing, he is a king who desires nothing!" - Seneca the Younger

Thought for today: Is Christ your King?

Living in grace

D3LM3

Do we live like Pontius Pilate or rather like Nathaniel?

The question of whether Jesus is a King (or not) troubled Pilate. He could see there was something remarkable about Jesus but couldn't bring himself to see Jesus as a king. Pilate's vision was too narrow - all he imagined was another worldly ruler, come to exert power and to challenge his leadership. Yet, there was something in Jesus that moved Pilate to ask some deep questions, especially regarding Truth.

"Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” - John 18:33

On the other hand, Nathaniel didn't need much convincing. He encountered Jesus and soon expressed his devotion:

John 1:48-49 - “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

Thought: Are we more like Pontius Pilate or Nathaniel?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

I am grateful - how about you?

"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." - Hebrews 13:7

I am very grateful for those amazing people who modelled Christianity for me over the years. This verse urges us to remember them and then to 'consider' (think on) their lives and finally, to imitate their faith. 

Someone once suggested that the definition of a Saint is "a person in whom Christ lives again." 

In some respects, our Christian role-models have been saints - Christ has lived on in their lives and through their example we have been taught about the ways of Jesus. And for their lives, I am extremely grateful!  

Exercise: Think about one person who has shaped your spiritual life. Give thanks to God for them today.

Philippians 1:3 - Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

My helper - your helper!

"So, we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. 
What can mere mortals do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6 and Psalm 118:6)

Taking a scripture verse out of its context can be a dangerous thing, as we don't allow it to speak to us with the whole weight of the words either side of the verse. 

Take today's reading as an example. The message is clear enough in that we can affirm that God is our helper and therefore, we don't need to be afraid of the threats of other people. However, this is only half the truth - there is a lot more to glean from the verse...

...verse 6 starts off by stating: "So, we can say with confidence...". We should be asking, what is the "SO" referring to? And to get the answer we need to read the preceding verses, particularly verse 5.

"For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (NKJV)

Our confidence comes from this amazing promise: God says he will never leave us, nor forsake us, which opens our hearts and mouths to proclaim with great confidence: 

God has got my back and so I don't need to be afraid of the hollow threats of people.

Living in grace

D3LM3 

Wisdom has no expiry date - it remains a gift throughout the generations

Wisdom is something that is timeless. And when we read the Bible, we note that there are thousands of words of wisdom, instruction, good news and grace. The book of Hebrews ends off offering the early believer's wisdom about contentment and money. In my opinion these words are timeless. They have spoken the Truth to countless generations of Christians, and they will continue to speak long after we have gone. 

Hebrews 13:5 - "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5)

I have left the Old Testament references in this post, because the readers of Hebrews would have known Deuteronomy and Joshua off-by-heart. This challenge was not something new to them, it was just that they were struggling to live it out. The same can be said for us. Knowing something to be wise and true, is one thing - but living it out, is the hard part!

Thought: Are you wrestling with contentment at the moment? How do the quotes from Joshua and Deuteronomy help you?

"Wisdom has no expiry date!"

Living in Grace

D3LM3