(G)Leaning on Grace

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.  Jeremiah 29:12-14 Most of us have heard, quoted and claimed for ourselves the promise made in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  We all want to be reminded in the midst of our hectic and sometimes harried lives that God is in control and is watching out for us.  This morning as I was reading over this promise, reminding myself of God's sovereignty I went a bit farther and found yet another promise that brings me great encouragement and peace. When I call upon Him and pray to Him he will listen to me!  If I seek Him with all my heart I will find Him.  And, when I find Him he will bring...

Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." Exodus 20:20 Have you ever had a day where things just don't come together?  I'm not talking about major issues, although that certainly has happened to me before, but a day when all the small things just seem off.  A day when from the time you get up out of bed in the morning you feel almost as though the universe is lined up against you.  I had one of those days yesterday and I thought I would take a moment to share my thoughts on this. As I got up yesterday morning, I just felt tired.  I didn't want to get up.  I had no energy and certainly no enthusiasm for the day ahead.  I finally did get up and when I did I just felt like I was walking in a fog.  I followed my morning routine and took that all important shower, where I should add, I got shampoo in my eyes; this was number 1.  I fi...

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. James 5:15 These last few days have been a whirlwind of need passed on through prayer requests for family and friends. This week I have called upon you, my friends and prayer warriors, to lift up the concerns of our Christian brothers and sisters as they have faced great physical pain, illness and medical procedures. Thank you so much for your faithfulness. I believe with all my heart that your willingness to carry these requests to the cross, lifting them to our Heavenly Father made all the difference. I know in my own situation this week it brought me peace in knowing that God was hearing from his children on our behalf. What I have found as well, it that sharing those concerns, my own and those of my friends, blessed me in ways I could not have imagined. Realizing that I have so many who are willing to take a few moments to petition God on behalf of ...

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. John 6:12-13 Let nothing be wasted, in life, in love, in food, in play, in everything under the sun and on the earth.  I believe that Jesus wastes nothing. He knows us intimately, better than we know ourselves and to think that he would go to such measures over picking up scraps of bread leftover from five barley loaves used to feed five thousand and would allow anything to go unused would not make sense. Having already demonstrated to this crowd of thousands the great power he had it would have been  less work to just leave the crumbs behind or stir up a wind to blow them away. So why go to the effort of picking up the leftover pieces up? Why gather them and collect them in baskets ma...

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Easter! This is certainly a day to rejoice. I have taken time over the last few days to really ponder and meditate on the historical and biblical events that make this day important. On Thursday I attended the Upper Room service at church. I can remember a time when washing feet seemed a bit 'out there' for me. I did not understand the significance and believe me, feet are one of parts of the body that I do not find attractive on anyone other than tiny babies. But over the last few years I have actually come to look forward to this service because it really brings home to me how Jesus truly was a servant and if our desire is to be like Him, washing feet metaphorically and literally is apart of that. It is who He was and the example He set. Considering it was the last moments on earth that He could spend with the disciples , the fact that He chose this act of service to try and really bring the point home to them spea...

This is the day in between the two most momentous and important days in history. The one day that Jesus lay in the tomb and was mourned by his family, disciples and friends On this day, the horrendous cruelty of his execution was over and the miraculous raising of him from the dead had not yet occurred. Think of it from your own experience. How do you feel the day after you bury a loved one? I know for me it is always a surreal experience. I am numb to a point and cannot quite wrap my mind around the reality that this person whom I loved is really gone. I have never witnessed such torture in the physical sense as scourging and crucifixion, but I have watched as bodies of family members have been ravaged by disease. I know that the comparison may seem a bit of a stretch, but standing by while someone you love suffers from illness and endures treatments that almost seem worse in the name of healing is painful to say the least. Especially, when it occurs over several months...

"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. Matthew 27:22-26 Sitting in the back of the sanctuary of my church last night I was able to see all the people who came to remember the great sacrifice and gift of Jesus. I watched as men, women and children entered quietly, quickly found seats in the center sections and s...

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:3 As I read the news this morning, I came across a story about police officers who were shot and killed in Pittsburgh by a man having a domestic argument with his mother. The officers who responded were not given the vital information that the subject had weapons in his residence. During the initial 911 call, his mother told the dispatcher that he owned guns and that they were all 'legal'. At this point the dispatcher should have asked more questions about the type and location of the weapons. The information that the guns were present and accessible should have been given to the responding units for their own safety and this along with the additional information, that was not gathered, could have made a life saving difference. I share this with you today because I truly believe that what happened here was not intentional. It is a by product of becoming comf...

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:21-22 As we enter this Holy Week in between Palm Sunday and Easter I want to focus on Jesus, what he was doing and what he was teaching during those last few days prior to the crucifixion. In Matthew it says that he after he entered Jerusalem on Sunday he went to the temple. Being greatly disappointed by what he saw there, moneychangers and peddlers, he overturned tables and benches declaring that his house would be 'a house of prayer'. He healed people of blindness and lame limbs. He was extolled by the children proclaiming "Hosanna to the son of David". The chief priests and teachers were enraged and questioned his authority and position. After this, Jesus ...

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 It is a beautiful day, this Palm Sunday, the week before Easter. As I study this morning, read my devotional and spend time in prayer I cannot help but imagine what may have been happening on this day some 2000 odd years ago. From the Bible we know that Jesus knew what was coming. As he grew from a child he was aware of his purpose, his plan to reconcile the children of God with the Father. In church this morning the choir will be singing a song reminiscent of the hymns of the church. In this song we sing words of remembrance and respect for the sacrifice which was made. Beginning with a more mellow peaceful strain, strengthening in the middle and then building to a joyful end. It is much like the life of Christ on earth. I will be pondering that earthly journey this week as we grow nearer to Easter and the celebration, not just in thankful recogn...

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”- Hebrews 12:2 I cannot count the number of times I have heard and applied to the saying, "no matter how bad life is, someone else always has it worse". I have many times considered this when I have found myself sitting in a pool of self-pity or condemnation. No matter how hard situations may seem in my life, I have never been unable to find someone who was facing something much worse than I. Although I do not relish their suffering I do recognize the blessings in my own life so that I can be thankful. This verse reminds me, convicts me, of the fact that Jesus endured the cross, scorned it's shame and he did it all for me, for us. Can anything I deal with ever compare to that selfless, sacrificial act of love? I doubt it. Even though he knew what was coming, he saw joy set before h...

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8 Trust in the Lord! We have all heard those words spoken by many a pastor, bible teacher and friend. But if you are like me learning to put total trust in God takes time. It's much easier said than done. This verse gives a bit of guide as to how to grow in your relationship with God and a snapshot of what this connection could look like as it matures. In comparing the trusting believer to a tree planted near water we can visualize a healthy, strong and well watered specimen that can withstand the tests of weather and drought. The water of the stream is the Word of God. It provides us with a powerful supply of health sustaining, refreshing and life giving fluid that fe...