Saving Grace

 

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. Hebrews 6:19

It has taken many years in my walk of faith to overcome the thought of trying to do ‘enough’ to please God.  This is, unfortunately, how many people live their lives; hoping that they have been to church enough, read their Bibles enough, and prayed enough to please God.  They hope God will forgive them and are often times uncertain that He actually will.  They hope that they will one day be considered worthy of heaven.

Hope is vastly different from God’s point of view and He doesn't want us to just live our lives trying to fulfill some sort of ‘Holy status quo.’  True hope comes from being thankful that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for us, thus saving us from certain death.

We can look back to the past to know that God never breaks His promises to us because He is just and He is good. His grace is not something we can earn or work towards like bonus points on a credit card or airline.

True hope comes from knowing that He loves us and that’s why He sent Jesus to this earth to save us, even though we don’t deserve it.

True Faith

 

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

Jesus gave us all blessed assurance and promise about our prayers when He stated: 'Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Jesus made this statement to assure each of us that the new covenant is true-the way to Kingdom is based on faith, which is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don't see.

Whatever you ask for, you must believe that you have received it.  Sometimes, don't be surprised if you don't see it, we could not have faith if we did.  We only have sight and vision, but God honors those who have faith.  He will always keep His promises to us and will bless those who trust Him with certainty!

Drifting

 

Don’t look for shortcuts to God.  The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time.  Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.  The way to life-to God-is vigorous and requires total attention.  Matthew 7:13-14, The Message

For quite some time now, I have noticed that I have managed to drift through my life by living it in such a routine and mediocre fashion.  I show up to watch worship on Sundays, say the same prayer each and every daily, punch the clock at work, and turn around and repeat the same process the very next week.  It’s easy to slip into this pattern when you lack personal motivation and easy to look for success in things that require minimal effort.  Why do you think that weight loss pills are so popular?  If you could just take a pill and shed the unwanted pounds, why would you bother to exercise and maintain a healthy diet?

Living that kind of lifestyle is a poor substitute for living a life of excellence, which was God’s plan for each one of us from the very beginning.

We must seek God and learn what His good plan is for our lives and then pursue it with all of our might.  When you pursue God with vigor and determination, your life will be filled a sense of purpose and fulfillment with His abundant blessings!

Livin' Thing

 

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.  Isaiah 40:8

Looking back at some old photos taken of me from my youth, I am dumbfounded by some of the trends and fads that I actually embraced as a child.  Whoever thought that the long, colorful, Bermuda shorts from the 80s, otherwise known as ‘Clam diggers,’ were a good idea for a short and pudgy kid, was out of their ever-loving mind!!  Thankfully that fashion trend came and went and as I entered the ninth grade in 1990, I proudly rocked a pair of Bugle Boys.  Okay, enough about me and my fashions; you get the point….

I am always amazed at how I can open my Bible and read a passage of Scripture that has a relevant meaning for exactly what I am going through at the exact time that I needed to read it.  It’s no wonder that the Bible contains the very few words of the almighty God and it is the only document that is ‘living.’

‘Living’ means that the Scriptures in the Holy Bible are relevant for all people in all places in all times.   The Word is as contemporary as the latest trend, yet as lasting as eternity.  Praise God’s holy name!!

Heart to Heart

 

People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7

In a romantic relationship, often times it is the initial physical attraction that draws two people together. Once the relationship evolves and two people fall in love, it's what is on the inside that matters the most.  In fact, looks alone can only take someone so far...

It’s natural for us to look first at someone’s outward appearance, but God sees past physical appearances and looks directly into our hearts.  Sadly, our society places too much emphasis on physical appearance without giving much thought to how beautiful a person’s heart is.

To God, true beauty comes from the inside, the heart, not what we look like!

Teach Your Children

 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  1 Peter 2:9

Whenever our boys asks me where or what I do for work, my standard response is along the lines of: "I help people by selling insurance." (I would dare to tell them that I am an expert in Health Care Reform, but I do want them to think my job is somewhat exciting!)

Being a father has certainly made me understand the importance of the message I communicate to our children.  For instance, I knew that my father was in the Army Reserve when I was a young child, but I could barely articulate that he was a human resources manager for a large U.S. textile manufacturer when asked what he did to earn a living.  Regardless, I knew that he loved me and my little sister and was a much stricter disciplinarian than my mother was.  I knew that he wanted the best for us and worked hard to provide for our family.  He also wanted us to be in church on Sundays and valued sitting down at the table to enjoy meals every night after he came home from work.

You see, everything we do or say teaches our children about our priorities, beliefs, and passions.  Knowing this we must not allow ourselves to become too busy with the demands of our occupations or other priorities, as we will surely send the wrong message to our children.

What are you communicating to your children?  Do they know that you have a heart for God’s direction in your life?  Do they know that you are in a relationship with Christ by the example you lead?

We have an incredible responsibility as parents and wise parents will always seek God’s counsel in raising their own children.

Hammer

 

You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  Psalm 139:13

Many years ago, we had the patio in our old house converted into a screened-in porch.  While it was under construction, I couldn't help but notice the skill and precision that the contractor used as he built the add-on to our home.  After he measured all of the dimensions of our patio, he went with us to purchase all of the necessary materials and knew with certain wisdom and experience the proper tool to use to complete each step of the project.

Just like the contractor who knows what tool to use, God has a job for each one of us to do while we are here on this earth.  In fact, He had our plans worked out before we even drew our first breath when we were born.  He created each of us to serve as His ‘tool’ to get the job done.

If you think about it, it’s pretty amazing to know that God has prepared us, fashioned us, and equipped us to serve Him on this earth.