One-a-Day Wednesday 3/19/14

For he (God) chose us in him (Jesus) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Ephesians 1:4).

You are the chosen one.

Well, maybe not the chosen one, but certainly a chosen one.

Before he made the world, God had you in mind.  He knew who you would be, how you would be, your many sins, your epic, endless failures.

And he loved you.

And he chose you.

Consider this: God is not bound by time, right?  Past, present, future—it’s all kind of now to him.  So, when he looks at you he sees you not only as you are, but as you will be.

Holy.

Blameless.

Now, if only you could learn to see yourself as he sees you.

Do me a favor—try, Beloved.

One-a-Day Tuesday 3/18/14

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

Think you aren’t strong enough?

Think you aren’t smart enough?

Think you aren’t rich enough?

Think you aren’t…enough?

You have been blessed with every spiritual blessing.  Not some…not even most.

Every.

All.

I can’t even imagine what all that means, but I’ll bet it means this much: everything you need to live the life God has called you to, He has already given you.

So what are you waiting for, Beloved?

One-a-Day Monday 3/17/14

Beloved, if you knew the week I just had and the one I’m about to have, you would understand why I’m “revisiting” these One-a-Days from last year.  Strangely, God’s Word has not gotten any less powerful or any less timely.  As to my commentary, well, that remains to be seen.

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:2).

Have you ever considered the causative relationship between the words grace and peace? The second depends upon the first.  It is only through God’s grace that we can have peace.

Think about it—apart from God’s grace, why should you have peace?  You are a hopeless, pathetic lump, destined for destruction—me too, for that matter.

Ahh, but you are not apart from God’s grace.  If you belong to Him, you have his grace, sufficient to all your needs.  Your pathetic lumpiness has been forgiven, atoned for.

Embrace his grace, beloved of the Father.  Know his peace today.

The Accidental Witness

Grocery bag“You know, a couple of weeks ago I really hated your guts!”

Lovely.

Several questions hit my mind all at once.

“Why did this person hate my guts a couple of weeks ago?”

“Why does this person no longer hate my guts?”

“Why does this person feel the need to tell me this in line at the supermarket?” Continue reading

One-a-Day Friday, 3/14/14

number 1…neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39).

Of course there’s nothing in the physical world that can separate us from God.  Outer space or ocean floor, you can’t get beyond his reach.  You already knew that.

But what about the emotional world?

What about when life is fantastic, and I get so caught up in my own amazingosity that I forget God?

What about when “I make my bed in the depths,” so depressed and beaten down that I can’t muster the strength to lift my head to Heaven?

Emotions are within his sphere too, Beloved.

All Creation is under his sway, and he has promised us, right here, that none of it can separate us from the love of Christ.

There is only one uncreated being in all the cosmos, only one who would be capable of erasing God’s love from your life, and he’s the one making the promise.

So I think we’re safe.

You are safe.

Take that into your weekend, Beloved.

One-a-Day Thursday, 3/13/14

number 1…neither the present nor the future… (Romans 8:38c).  

Neither the present…

when I’m distracted and frazzled and busy and sad and lonely and frightened and desperate and insecure and so completely overwhelmed that I barely have time to read this silly little devotional

nor the future…

when I have no idea what will happen

…though God does

or what mistakes I will make

…though God does

or what sins I will commit

…though God does

or who will hurt me

…though God does

and I can only cling to his Word and trust and pray and hope that he really is all he promises to be.

Yes, that’s about it.

How about this: I’ll cling and trust and pray and hope for you today, and you do the same for me. Whaddaya say?

Thanks, Beloved.

One-a-Day Wednesday, 3/12/14

number 1…neither angels nor demons… (Romans 8:38b)

I would love to see into the spiritual world.  When I read of Daniel’s visions, or John the Apostle’s, I get hungry, wondering what it will really be like to see into that world.  I know that it’s there, and filled with unimaginable power, but I can only perceive the tiniest fraction of it.

And yet, interesting as it may be, ultimately the world of angels and demons has little effect on our eternity.  My life—your life—is hidden with Christ in God.  It’s done.

I don’t really know why or how an angel might want to separate me from God.  That’s beyond the scope of this brain to comprehend.  I can understand why a demon might—and what tactics may be involved.  I’m sure that I have even experienced the attempt, though I may not have realized it at the time.

Doesn’t matter.

You may stand at the center of a spiritual melee, but you are secure.

You may swim in a whirlpool of spiritual attack, but you will not be pulled down.

God’s got you, and nothing can take you from him.

It’s Wednesday—go get ‘em, Beloved.

One-a-Day Tuesday, 3/11/14

number 1For I am convinced that neither death nor life… (Romans 8:38a)

If I get squished by a narcoleptic cement truck driver on my way to work, I will still belong to God.  In fact, I will immediately be ushered into his presence, to spend eternity in his glory.  I understand that.

You know…sorta.

But the “life” part, that’s something to chew on.  Life can’t separate me from God, either.  Because frankly, that’s the far more likely scenario of the two.  There are so many things out there that are designed to separate us from God’s love.  Everywhere you turn, there is darkness reaching for you.  If it were up to you, your strength, you would be swept away.

But, of course, it’s not.

God is strong enough to hold you, even when sin and fear and insecurity and doubt and laziness and despair try to tear you out of his grasp.

I wouldn’t suggest that you go out of your way to test that promise, but you can trust it.

You can trust him.

One-a-Day Monday, 3/10/14

number 1No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37).

Some days I feel like a conqueror; some days I feel like the conquered.  The “things” that Paul mentions—persecution, famine, peril, sword, and all the rest—are ever so much tougher than anything I’m likely to face today, even though it is Monday, and we did just set the clocks ahead an hour.

Three words to notice this morning: are, through, loved.

Are: Do you notice that God doesn’t say that we feel like conquerors?  He says we are.  The Lord of the Universe knows our emotions—he created them.  He knows the power they have to motivate us to goodness; he also knows the power they have to confuse, to distract, to deceive us.  We say, “I feel.”  God says, “You are.”

Through: When God first sent the Israelites into the Promised Land, they balked.  The enemies they saw were too many, too big, and too fierce, and they refused to go fight them.  So God rebuked his people, telling them they would stay in the desert for the rest of their lives, and their children would take the land.  At this, the Israelites had a change of heart and went up to battle—against God’s instructions.  They got whipped.  Of ourselves, we are alone, small, and afraid.   Through Christ, living in His power, we are unstoppable.

Loved: We always seem to end up here, don’t we?  He loved us enough to give his Son.  That redeeming love has brought us into his family, made us his in ways that we can never fully grasp.  He has conquered sin and death—past tense, even though it may not always feel that way—through and because of his great love for us.  For you.  If you are his, you conquer with him.

You are a conqueror.

Wrap yourself in his love and charge into your Monday, Beloved.