Gracious living flows into us from God’s grace to us through
the gift of Jesus. Some of the definitions for “grace” or “graciousness” include;
Unmerited favor
God’s love
A prayer before a meal
Beauty in movement
Kindness
Take in God’s
gracious love for you in a real way. Let the living water wash over you until
it soaks into the depths of your soul. He can heal the missing pieces. As He
heals us and makes us whole, we become filled with that same love and grace. Shower
favor on others, pray for them, and share God’s love and kindness. Nothing is
impossible with Jesus. He changes everything!
Follow
God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love,
just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and
sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2
Remember
on the days of struggle, the days you wonder how to get through, the days of
doubt and worry, God’s grace is sufficient. It is all we need.
But He
said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so
that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
What a promise! He shines even brighter at our weakest moments, as we
rely on Him for grace for the moment. Put on your spiritual clothes and flow
with grace.
Therefore,
as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12
Heavenly Father,
Lead us by example. We are Your children sent into the world
by You and through Your beloved Son. Let grace flow through us as we carry on
the heritage of our Father, through Jesus.
Amen
Our need for grace and more grace continues throughout our lives. The reason I asked God for more graciousness leads me to a
confession. Does God ever put something right in front of you over and over?
You hear a Scripture a few times. Other people are put in front of you as an
example. Both happened to me this week.
First of all I witnessed what true
graciousness looks like in the lives of two pastors. One, the friend I spoke of
earlier this week. The other passed away on Friday at the age of 88. As his
funeral service began, behind the casket walked his wife of 67 years followed
by their five children and spouses, their 21 grandchildren and spouses and their
21 great-grandchildren. Wow! The words the children and grandkids spoke were
filled with love and gratitude for a gracious man; loving, kind, patient and
most of all, a servant of Jesus. He left a heritage behind him. He sacrificed,
he served, he loved, all with a twinkle in his eye, along with a humble heart.
Gracious living towards everyone leaves a legacy.
I blew my
opportunity to be gracious this week. I have what I call, and maybe you have
heard the term, my “sandpaper” person. My stomach turns to knots when I speak
to her. I always feel put down, let down, less than, and that I don’t measure
up after I speak with her. This time, I became a bit mean spirited. I said a
couple of things that came out of nowhere and to be honest, I felt a bit proud
of myself. It felt good.
And my Father in
heaven checked my spirit. I felt and
maybe heard, “What did you just do, child?” Now, I hope you see God as your loving
Father. He sees you as a beloved child no matter your age. And just as any
loving father would, He disciplines. He chastises. He improves us. And He has
His work cut out with me! I asked His forgiveness and I recognized the fact that
I acted in the very way and with the same attitude that had hurt me. And I
wanted to hurt back.
And what does Jesus ask of us?
But I
tell you, love your enemies, and pray for them who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
The Holy Spirit
convicted me. God never condemns. He only changes us for our own good. I prayed
for my “sandpaper” person, through gritted teeth. (This is a confession after
all) The prayer released me from guilt and next time, (please Lord) I will wait
for the Holy Spirit rather than lashing back on my own. My loving Father asks
me to do just that. Luckily, the Spirit of Christ is within us, ready to step
in.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you
another Advocate to help you and He will abide with you forever. John 14;16
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the examples of gracious living and the
difference graciousness can make in the lives of others. Forgive me for my
harsh words and the times I want to hurt and pay back evil for evil. You ask
us, instead, to love, to see the need and the hurt within others and to offer
Your love, Your gracious, compassionate and abounding love. We ask for the Holy
Spirit to guide us today.
Amen
As we become familiar with God’s character; with His undeserved
graciousness, His compassion and His abounding love, we begin to exhibit and
imitate those traits ourselves. The image of Christ can work through us, even
to those we believe don’t deserve it. After all, that’s where Jesus asks us to
serve, showering those around us with the grace and mercy they don’t deserve.
The book of
Proverbs was written by the man many believe was the wisest man who ever lived,
King Solomon. God was pleased with him, when he asked for Godly wisdom as he
became king of Israel. He wrote all of these Proverbs, along with the books of
Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes.
Solomon reminds us of the power of graciousness.
The Lord
detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in His
sight. Proverbs 15:26
The wise
in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction. Proverbs 16:21
Gracious
words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24
Words
from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own
lips. Ecclesiastes 10:12
A pastor friend of
ours is accepting a call to a church in another state. A young woman from his
congregation wrote words to him of gratitude, telling him that he had shown
her, by example, a loving God that looked beyond her faults and beyond what the
world saw in her. He saw her shyness rather than believing she was a snob, as
others had labeled her, and told her the anger stirring deep within her could
be turned into passion for her calling. He used wise words filled with grace,
given with the heart of Christ. I am asking God to give me gracious words, a
compassionate heart and a loving attitude. Gracious words promote wisdom,
healing and instruction.
Dear Father,
On our own we look for the fault, criticize what we don’t like
and put others down. Give us your graciousness today as we look for ways to
speak to a hurting world and seeing others beneath the surface. Let the Holy Spirit give us those kind words
for everyone.
In Jesus name,
Amen
God’s pure grace and His new mercies each day have forgiven
me, comforted me, picked me back up time and time again, and sustained me
through stormy days. They have been poured into my life no more powerfully,
than in the love He has provided for me in my family. Today marks the 31st
birthday of our oldest daughter. What joy she has given us over the years and
continues to bring to our lives. There is no greater gift than seeing our
children grow into amazing adults and into friends.
I look forward to
our daily chats. My husband always asks,
“How do you find so much to talk about every day?” There is never a lack of conversation and I
treasure the moments we get to spend together, all of us as a family, and just the two of us.
How has God’s grace
been showered in your life? Let’s praise Him with thanksgiving for giving us
grace upon grace. Savor each moment. Declare His love to others and thank Him. I
thank You, Lord, for the gift of our Angela. May you continue to bless her
life. And may God continue to bless each of you with grace and more grace.
And out of His fullness, we have all received
grace and more grace, in place of grace already given. John 1;16
Father,
Thank You for the greatest gifts You can give us, love and
family. Pour out Your blessings to those we love. Bring birthday blessings to
our daughter today and throughout this year.
In Jesus name,
Amen
For the inspiration
to write about grace, today’s blog is for my friend, Susie, who never tires of
showing graciousness and kindness.
The pure,
sacrificial grace of God saves us, sustains us, secures us and seals us. The unimaginable grace of our God came to us
in Jesus Christ. The world around us demands justice. If we break a law, we pay
the penalty. Our lives are viewed by merits. Are we good enough? Have we
measured up?
But God’s grace
came down to us when we did not deserve it. His grace finds us and loves us just the way we
are. His grace forgives our past sins, our present transgressions and all of
the missteps we will take in the future. His unmerited favor and His love were
given to us freely. Jesus died and suffered for you and for me. God’s compassion
and grace are given to us liberally and lavishly.
And He
passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate
and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:6
But You
are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding
in love. Therefore You did not desert them.
Nehemiah 9:17b
But You,
Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love
and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15
The Lord
is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8
The Lord
is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Psalm 145:8
Rend your
heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious
and compassionate and slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from
sending calamity. Joel 2:13
Do you have days of
doubt? I do. We believe we aren’t doing enough. We don’t measure up.
How can God love us? Right now, this minute, read the verses above once more.
Meditating and placing God’s words in our hearts and bringing them to mind when
we have those moments, those days, those doubts can move us to where we belong,
as children of our compassionate, loving, and forgiving God.
God’s grace flows
with compassion and love. Not just love, but abounding love! He is rich in
love. He is faithful to us, even when we are not faithful to Him. Bask in His
grace and love and remind yourself daily. He is gracious and compassionate, slow
to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness toward you and me.
Dear Father,
Thank You for reminding us and repeating over and over again
in Your precious word how much we are loved. We need to hear it. We are Your
children, called for a purpose, united in love. Be gracious to us today.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Our ultimate trust and hope are in our victory over death. Death?
Most of us want to avoid the topic all together. Our earthly goodbyes are heart
wrenching, our grief overwhelming. It is so difficult to go on without our loved
ones. But in Christ, we have the promise of forever. In this life, we always
find hope. Our short lives will end (no matter how we try to avoid that truth)
and we will move on to a better forever, our true home in heaven. Heaven bound?
Believe in the risen Christ!
In the meantime, we
are in a spiritual battle against the ways of this world, that will grow
ever-stronger until the return of Christ. He promised there would be an
increase in storms and earthquakes, in wars, in evil and depravity. There would
be times such as haven’t been seen since the days of Noah, times of violence,
anger, of disrespect, greed, power and pride.
Sound like the headlines?
Trusting in God, as
we have spoken about each day for these last two weeks, offers us hope in Christ
and His power until our death or until His return. He overcame this world for us. Spread the word.
He is risen. He has conquered death. Our heavenly home awaits.
Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who
believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:5
“I have told you these things so that in Me you
may have peace. In this world you will
have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world.” John 16:13
Do not fear. This
world will pass away. Everything we see is temporary, but in Him we can remain
calm and peaceful. Focus on things above. As we age and our bodies wear out,
our spirits will be able to grow stronger and filled with light. I have seen this truth over and over again in
hospice patients. Here are two verses I have used in ministry to the dying.
They are filled with God’s glory and hope forever.
Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly
we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are growing day by day. For our light and
momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs
them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for
what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
I consider that our present sufferings are not
worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
Such precious words
to end the week. An eternal glory that far outweighs it all. As we trust Him
with our lives, we are moving ever-closer to our home.
Father,
You bring us back to hope as we trust in You throughout our
lives. Keep us strong in weakness, fearless and unafraid, as we remain Your
beloved children.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Last of the summer vacation days next week. The blog will be
back on August 26th.
Trusting God in all things requires a strong faith. Faith
beyond what we see. Faith beyond the grave.
Faith in Christ even when we don’t understand. Faith in His
resurrection. Faith in the truth of His word. Faith that He cares about us. Faith
brings trust in the only true God.
I don’t know about
you, but my faith can become weak when I want to control a situation, when my
worries overcome my peace, when the questions don’t seem to have any answers.
When I ask, “Why?”
Time and time
again, He answers me. He delivers me from fear again. He provides a way out. He
works miracles through suffering. He offers hope to others through what I have
experienced. It is a wildly exciting ride to follow Him. Have faith today!
Trust in our very capable, understanding, never-sleeping Savior.
He is praying for
you. He is interceding for you through the Holy Spirit. He is working for you
and through you. Relax in the freedom of Jesus. And surrender it all in true
faith, hope and trust.
Our trust grows
with each experience lived with Him. Our faith and trust please our God.
Without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards
those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
All God asks of us
is to keep our faith steadfast and strong. He will never leave us. He loves us.
He is longing for us to be with Him, but He needs us here to be His servants,
to find ways to talk about Him and our faith. Believe and trust in His ways
above our own wants and desires, above oud daily worries, above it all.
Father,
Our help comes from You. You are big enough, strong enough,
loving enough to get us through the days. Keep our faith strong. As we rely
more and more on You, it pleases You. Let us make You smile today.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Light and love and
hope. How do we remain hopeful in this world? I think our hope depends solely
on what we believe about God. Do we believe He is real? Do we believe He speaks
truth? Do we believe He keeps His promises? Do we believe He has defeated sin
and death on the cross?
Believing in the
risen Lord always brings hope.
Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are
God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:5
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the
Lord. Psalm 31:24
Belief and trust in
God make us strong and hopeful. Hope beyond our five senses and all
circumstances around us. Hope beyond the
grave. Our trust and our hope belong to
Jesus. And hope in Him brings a deep and abiding joy as we trust in Him.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful
in prayer. Romans 12:12
Let the verse below
be our prayer today:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of
the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Amen
Trust Jesus with your heart. I just listened to a great sermon
about the heart. Jesus always focuses on the heart. He doesn’t care about the
jobs we have, the degrees we have earned, the cars we drive, or anything to do
with our egos. He looks at the heart.
Let him see what is
in the depth of your heart. Is there anything He needs to remove? Forgiveness
to be offered? Bitterness to be released? Envy or greed to be conquered? He is able to
do just that. King Solomon tells us this about our hearts.
Above all else, guard your heart. For everything
you do, flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
Everything we do
flows from within. All of our motives, our
actions, our thoughts, what comes out of our mouths, all stem from the
condition of our hearts. Trust God with your heart condition. Tell Him
everything and release the junk. He will cleanse those thoughts and fill you
with the living water offered freely from Him.
“Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said,
rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:38
Let’s work on the condition of our hearts and
let Jesus flow from within them. How is the condition of your heart? Above all
else, guard what lies deep within.
Lord,
Show me what needs to be released to You today. Cleanse the
darkness away from inside my heart and let Your free, living water begin to
flow freely to the world around me.
In Jesus name,
Amen
I would love to continue our theme of trusting God this week.
Trusting Him with everything, as we discovered last week, will bring about our
peace of mind, peace in our spirits and peace in our hearts. Trusting Him completely will relieve our
anxious thoughts and worries. Giving Him our very lives, will bring change and
hope to our weary souls.
I love this saying,
“God doesn’t call qualified people. He qualifies the people He calls.” As God walks with us through our lives,
remember this; He does not cause the pain and suffering we encounter in our
lives. He uses it. We live in a fallen world.
All of creation, all of us, are subject to the curse of sin and decay.
Let Him use your
life for His glory. Did you know He is pure light?
This is the message we have heard from Him and
declare to you: God is light. In Him, there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5
Have you met a
fellow Christian somewhere along the way? Did you have an immediate connection?
Did you notice a light in their eyes, a glow about them? I love to be in
fellowship with others who love Jesus. True believers can stay out of the
darkness of this world. We are filled with His light!
I have come into the world as a light, so that no
one who believes in Me should stay in darkness. John 12;46
You are all children of the light and children of
the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:5
As we trust God
with our lives, His Spirit will continually fill us with light. That light will
shine right up until the day of our death. Believe it! And shine.
Father,
We are no longer children of the night, but children of the
day. Fill us with Your light of love so that we can be different. We belong to
You. Let it show. Let it shine!
In Jesus name,
Amen
When we allow ourselves to place our entire trust in Jesus, we
find peace. Life with Him is the only true peace available in this world filled
with violence, greed and depravity. Peace can be found in Jesus is the middle
of the storm. Jesus was asleep in the bow of the boat when a great storm arose.
His disciples were afraid and went to wake Him, saying they were going to
drown! Jesus remained calm and said:
“You of little faith. Why are you so afraid?” Then
He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves and it was completely calm.
Matthew 8:26
As we combat fear
throughout our lives, remember Jesus can calm the storm. Over and over again
throughout the Old and the New Testament, we are told to stay unafraid, to fear
nothing, to trust in our God.
Follow peace in
your spirit. When making a decision, when facing a fear, when watching the
news, let His peace be with you. His
peace is not available in this world, no matter how we strive to find it. Our peace of mind, heart and spirit depend
solely on Him. And He promises to give it to us.
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you. I do
not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do
not be afraid. John 14:27
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds
are steadfast, because they trust in You. Isaiah 26:3
Did you
notice the last words in the verse from Isaiah? Peace comes when our minds are
steadfast because we trust in God! Trust
is our theme of the week. Luckily for us, when we lose our peace, it is always,
always available to us over and over again.
Jesus understands our human frailties. He is in the midst of the storm
with us, calming the waves and the wind as they swirl around us. Do not let
your hearts be troubled. He is in control.
Jesus,
How Your words soothe our hearts. Bring us back to Your promises
again and again. We need constant reminders each day. Keep our minds solely
on You, as we trust in all you do.
Amen
Will be back on Monday!
Enjoy this summer weekend.
jesusandjudy.blogspot.com
So far this week, we have looked at anxiety and weakness.
Thanks, Judy, for such uplifting topics in our walk of faith. How precious are the days of smooth sailing,
of sun-filled boat rides, of trips with our loved ones, of celebrating another
birthday with a parent or child, of new babies and weddings.
Waking up with a
grateful heart each morning, with our focus on things above, will put us in the
right frame of mind to begin the day. I love studying and meditating on the
word of God. There are always answers filled with hope for you and for me.
Trusting God each
day isn’t easy, but with the help of the Holy Spirit within us, we can keep our
hearts and our minds right where they belong.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not
on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct
your path. Proverbs 3:5-6
These verses are
worth memorizing. The key to trusting God with all things is to acknowledge Him
in ALL of our ways, on our weakest days, in our most fret-filled moments, in
our days of grace and joy. Every day,
all day, acknowledge His lead and trust Him.
God is alive and
eternal and so are we. We are looking forward to our citizenship in heaven. In
the meantime, trust, trust, trust.
For this world is not our permanent home. We are
looking forward to a home yet to come. Hebrews 13:14
Father,
Our home is with You now and forever. We place our trust in
You through each day, through the tough times and the days filled with smiles.
We are Yours forever.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Are you feeling weak with worry, or anxious about a medical
procedure? Worried over a child, or over the break-up of a relationship? Did
you know that God never sees us as weak? He sees each storm in life as an
opportunity. He will walk us through as He continues to teach us with
ever-growing, Godly wisdom.
Even as our bodies
grow weak, our spirits can remain strong in Him. He is sufficient for this day.
Never forget, Christ became weak for us. He gave up His connection with God as He
lived as a man, as He suffered in agony, carrying the world’s decay and sin for
us. And the cross, the picture of death and weakness, vanquished death! Imagine what He can do with our weakest
moments.
For to be sure, He was crucified in weakness, yet
He lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power, we
will live with Him in our dealing with you. 3 Corinthians 13:4
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our
weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself
intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8;26
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for
you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the
more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2
Corinthians 12:9
All of these
lessons are learned over time, with each step of our lives. The times of our
greatest weakness will show God’s mercy and strength. Those are the exact
moments when He will shine through us. Ultimately our lives will glorify Him.
It is His work in us to accomplish His plan.
Feeling weak? It is
the perfect time to rely on our Heavenly Father and His Son. The Spirit will
pray for you. God’s strength will show through the rain. He has won the victory
over this life and into the next. Trust in Him.
Lord,
Give us exactly what we need as You show us and others who You
are. We are in Your capable hands. Remind us over and over. You’ve got us in
the palm of Your hands.
In Jesus name,
Amen
What would it look like, feel like…how would we act, talk, or
think…how would we change, if we truly trusted God with our lives,
including giving Him the worries and cares of our families, friends, work and
leisure? Most importantly, what keeps us from doing just that?
I have shared in
the past that one of our daughters and I have struggled with anxiety off and on
over our lives. My mom was an anxious worrier as well. It comes naturally. (sorry dear daughter)
Three of my close
friends have dealt with anxiety recently and, I would say, from my perspective, pointless worry and anxiety have kept me from complete trust in our loving God. This week come
along with me as we look at Scripture to help ease our minds, to show us how to give up
control, and to allow Him to work. Above all, to trust Him with the outcomes of
whatever is going on in our lives.
So do
not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right
hand. Isaiah 41:10
God is with us. He
will strengthen us, help us and hold us up. It is His desire to be enough for
each moment. Let’s believe it together. Give Him all of your cares today.
Cast all of your anxiety on Him, because He cares
for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Did you hear that?
The Creator of the heavens and the earth, the One who vanquished death, the
Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, cares for you! He is enough.
Jesus,
Strengthen our hearts in trust. Give us Your precious right
hand as we navigate the mountains and the valleys of this life. Help us to
place all of our trust in You.
Amen
God loves it when we give to others with our whole hearts. He
loves a cheerful giver.
Each of you should give what you have decided in
your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9;7
As we
strive to give everything to Christ, to do everything in love, to give our all
to bring glory to Him, He asks us to give cheerfully, to live sacrificially,
and not grudgingly, without grumbling. I certainly need His guidance in this!
Do everything without grumbling or arguing.
Philippians 2:14
Using
what God has given us, including our gifts and talents, will bring blessings to
others as well as blessings to our lives. And He asks us to do it all
generously and cheerfully.
If it is to encourage, then give encouragement. If
it is giving, then give generously. If it is to lead, do it diligently. If it
is to show mercy, then do it cheerfully. Romans 12:8
His words
to us this week include doing all things as if we are doing them for Christ, to
do everything without grumbling or arguing, to do everything in love, as well
as giving cheerfully and generously. All
of these attributes can only come from walking closely with Jesus. He will lead
the way into the abundant life that shines with His glory.
Father,
We need your help as we struggle with our human tendencies.
Fill us with Your Spirit today as we move out into the world around us, as we
strive to do everything for You and with You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
How do we live according to God’s plan for us? The only way to
understand who God is and what He loves and what He hates is to know and to
continually study His Word. The Word of God is alive and will speak to us in
unique and personal ways.
For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper
than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews
4:12
God tells us to
meditate on His Word, to etch it on our hearts and to live it out as we give
everything in life to Him.
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips,
meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything
written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8
God’s words to
Joshua inspire me to remember to meditate on the Word night and day. The Spirit
will bring words to mind as needed from the Bible as we go about our daily
business. With our Bibles in hand, we can fight off the wiles of Satan and live
the abundant life that only comes from Jesus.
Lord,
Today we thank You for Your word that is alive and active. The
word will be like a sword against the enemy’s schemes. It will comfort us,
inspire us, teach us and guide us into living the lives you have called us to
live.
In Jesus name,
Amen
