Tag: faithfulness

Relentlessly Pursued, Unfailingly Loved

Minute after minute after minute. Hour after hour after hour. Day after day after day.

They pursue me, relentlessly.

You know who I mean: Satan. The world. My own sinful nature. Every hour, my powerful, untiring spiritual enemies hunt me.

“Fall,” they whisper. “You will fall.”

I get so tired of their voices playing over and over again in my head. In my heart.

But, Lord, I know that minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day, you are with me. You are my God. And your love for me never quits.

The clock may tick. The minute hand slowly moves around the face of the clock. But each new minute, each new hour, brings more of your grace, more of your forgiveness, more of your love.

More of your strength.

I may be relentlessly pursued by powerful enemies, but I am also unfailingly loved by you, my Savior.

“But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.” (Psalm 31:14-16, NIV).

Our Bible reading for Sunday, March 8, is Leviticus 17:1 – 18:30, Mark 14:17-42 and Psalm 31:9-18.

Lord, when my soul is consumed with anguish, when I am in distress, renew my faith in you. My spiritual enemies — Satan, the world, my own sinful nature — pursue me relentlessly. Help me to know that each day is in your hands. Let me enjoy your smile today. Love me faithfully so that I can be convinced — day after day — that your love for me is unfailing.

Header image based on "Yuno's alarm clock? No, it's mine." by Toshiuki Imai, CC By-SA 2.0

Handing Out Awards Like Hotcakes

We have a God who loves to hand out awards. And because he is as gracious as he is generous, these awards are lavish — and completely undeserved.

After all, God created us in the first place. He gave us our hands, feet, eyes, ears, minds and hearts. Every good and perfect gift, James says, comes down from the Father of heavenly lights.

Then God redeemed us from our empty way of life under slavery to sin. He bought us back from a certain and eternal death — freeing us from sin, guilt and shame. And he did it at great cost to himself. He sacrificed his one and only Son, Jesus, to make that redemption become real.

God also gifted us with our talents, abilities, and various personalities. He shaped and molded us into the individual we are today, both through nature and nurture. Our inner “wiring” all belongs to him.

By grace, God has saved us for eternity. Even more shocking, he is building a personal home for each of us in the life that follows this life. He gives us this heavenly home for free. No mortgage payments. No savings account needed in this life. What provides this gift to us is the grace of God. No more. No less.

And finally, God promises to bless us in heaven when we use the bodies he’s given us, express the freedom he’s won for us, apply the gifts he’s chosen for us, all while living in the hope of eternal life that he’s made available to us.

And where do you think the motivation and energy we need to do this comes from? You got it. Like everything else, it comes from him. By grace.

God is that guy. He’s indiscriminate and unrelenting in his grace and generosity. So much so that the outside observer looks on and wonders if God is not way too generous.

But please understand God’s heart. All of this is because what God really wants for us is to share in his happiness.

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:21, NIV).

Lord, thank you for your amazing generosity and grace which we get to personally experience each day. Thank you for wanting us to share in your happiness.

Our Bible reading for Saturday, February 7, is Job 40:3 – 42:17, Matthew 25:14-46 and Psalm 18:43-50.

Header image based on "Trophies" by Paulus, CC by 2.0