Mercy. Me?

The more merciful we are to those who wrong us, the more merciful God is to us. And blessings flow out of relationships that extend mercy. Want to experience true joy today? Give…and receive…mercy. -Unknown

Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. 1 Peter 5:7 MSG

One of the things that puts me in a merciful frame of mind is remembering how often I’ve been in need of mercy and how generously God’s granted it. Again and again as I’ve stumbled and bumbled my way through life…making mistakes, recalculating and beginning again…God has been my constant supporter. He’s given me grace, filled up my love reservoirs, and forgiven me my trespasses more times than I can count. Should I do any less with my fellows?

Maybe someone has walked all over you.

Maybe they’ve jumped your fences and are right now twirling around on soft grass and rutting up your pastures.

Maybe they’ve done something so wrong that you’ve wondered,”Can I, should I overlook this one?”

Christ says, “Forgive! Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Hard!

But God…

Grant mercy.

Give unmerited favor.

Let bygones be bygones.

“Act as if” until you can feel the real feelings of forgiveness sweeping over you.

Forgiveness is a matter of the will. You CAN do this, if you CHOOSE to do it.

Don’t be the one to keep accounts on such things as grudges. Now is the season of good cheer to all men, even those who offend.

Today, let’s be like Jesus, remembering that “they know not what they do.” We can live carefree before God and trust Him to be most careful with us. We don’t need more than that. We might want more, but we don’t need more.

Trust God and give mercy. It’s the best way to honor who Christ is and what He’s made us to be this Christmas!

Have you ever felt a divine influence moving in and over you, so that you were able to forgive a seemingly unforgiveable wrong?  Can you tell me more about that?

If the Son sets you free

…if the Son set you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 NIV

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loves us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV

I hear it all the time, that number that represents people of the world who are living in bondage of one kind or another. It’s sad, and makes me wonder…is there more slavery going on in our world, or are we just getting better at recognizing and reporting on it? Either way, the number of people forced into bondage these days is a sad commentary on life here and another reason why we need to heed the call of God and surrender everything we have to His oversight and love.

Being God’s slave brings us freedom of every kind!

Did you know that in ancient times there were many examples of slaves being treated like one of the family? There were. Those individuals, Joseph among them, were recognized for their good service, loved for how dutifully they took care of their households, and lauded for the way they stewarded the resources God put under their control. Given the opportunity to leave their masters, these slaves begged to stay. So much better were their lives serving their masters, that they could not imagine living any other way.

Today, it’s the same for those who call upon God to be their master, and Christ their King. They are the most blessed of individuals, and their lives the most highly favored. They know real freedom, which is a combination of purposeful living and the abundant love of someone who has offered them unmerited grace.

We can know this too, this Christmas!

Have you experienced the unmerited grace of God in your life?  How has it changed you?

In helping, I was helped!

“Love and tolerance of others is our code.
And we have ceased fighting anything or anyone…” Pg 84 BBAA

Today I got another lesson in patience.

It started when I ended up behind a little old lady while trying to quickly pay for my food purchases at lunch time.  This, after moving from one lane to another because of my desire to move quickly along.

She was slow getting those groceries onto the conveyor belt.

She was slow writing her check.

She had to show her license to the clerk (which she couldn’t find).

She was very hard of hearing and very sharp of speech (dare I say sassy?).

I think I saw the clerk roll her eyes, but I can’t be sure. I know I was doing an eye roll in my mind. I’ve been practicing not doing them in visible ways, so I think I was safe there.

I know, I know…not really a habit the born-again should be practicing, which is why I’m working on it.

While I waited for this sister of Eve in a perfectly impatient way, I was reminded that God asks me to be a servant to others, especially when they are disabled in some way. It was at that moment I decided to take the time I would have spent fretting about being late returning to work, and spend it praying for others I know are struggling today. What a difference!

My reward for obeying God and practicing patience instead of eye rolls, was that I learned from this woman that we share a last name.

She also told me a little about her family.

She told me her dad worked for the county, putting electrical lines into service all over Bradford County.

She told me he died in the 1940’s at only forty years of age!

She said too much electricity flowing through his body had weakened his heart and one day it could take no more.

She repeated that story to me three times in the short time we spent together. I found it endearing. It reminded me of gramma.

She thanked me again and again for helping her.  I said, “I’m glad to,” but I hadn’t been ten minutes before that. As I loaded her car with groceries, we shared a moment when the world looked very small and a woman helping a woman seemed like a noble thing. We parted by wishing each other a Merry Christmas!  My heart was warm once more, though my fingers felt cold enough to break off into tiny pieces.

Thank You, God, for reminding me what’s most important, and to never, ever serve the tyranny of the urgent first-no matter how loud it roars!

What is something serendipitous that happened to you recently and left a lasting impression?  Who did you help today?

Am I really helping?

Sometimes I read a devotional and think, “Wow, that is harsh!  That is cutting, brutal honesty. That is what needs to happen here, because, yeah, I’ve come to the end of my understanding with this person/situation/circumstance, and only the touch of the Holy One is going to be able to right what has gone wrong here.”  I had that thought today, as I read Oswald Chambers.  Brutal. Honest. Raw! Nothing I wanted to cozy up to, I assure you.  This is, in part, what Oswald had to share today:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”  John 3:30

“If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God’s order.  As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom.  When once you see a soul in sight of the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the throes [struggles], pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ.”

He goes on to say, “Over and over again, we become amateur providences, we come in and prevent God; and say—This one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him.”

He finishes with, “Never mind what havoc it brings, what upsets, what crumblings of health, rejoice with divine hilarity when once His voice is heard.  You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it.”

Wow!  That is mind numbing stuff, isn’t it?  Our NATURAL inclination as believers is to rush in, do all we can to prevent further damage…BE that solution for others who are struggling.  And listen, I don’t think we should withhold goodness, or mercy, or help to those who need it, but we might benefit by asking the Lord if He is causing their struggle. What if he wants them broken and the only way to accomplish it is through their present hardship? What if He wants them to see HIM as their Savior, and not us? What then?

This brings up so many questions—questions only God can answer.

Today, let’s invest out time in finding out what He thinks.  Let’s listen long and hard BEFORE we do any more harm with our helping ways.

This message is counter intuitive, I will admit, but it rings true to my listening ears.  I’d love to hear your thoughts concerning it, and what the Lord reveals to you when you bring your service for Him before his throne and ask him if you’ve been moving in the right direction when offering help to others.

May we all see His Way more clearly, and do His Will more surely.  Amen.   

You are…

You are valuable.

You are significant.

In Christ, You are powerful beyond measure.

You are loved!!!

Do Something!

Be a Billboard!!!

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:2-4

Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. Habakkuk 2:2-4

Are you a living billboard for the Lord?

What are you doing every day to be that letter of recommendation for Jesus that you were designed to be?

Are you loving people unconditionally?

Are you forgiving those who sin against you?

Are you reaching out to God for strength to do those things that seem insurmountable for you?

Where in your life have you posted a message about Jesus that can be seen by others as they drive by your billboard at sixty-five miles an hour?

Today, be that living, breathing, walking, talking, loving, caring billboard for Christ that others may never see if you were not willing to display it.

Forgive as if your life depends on it.

Love as if the sun might not come up tomorrow otherwise.

Reach beyond yourself to embrace someone or something that will strengthen the kingdom of God in your corner of the world.

Be Jesus with skin on, to someone.

If you will, the whole world might be changed–forever! Think about it. Is the Lord’s arm too short? Are you too insignificant for Him to use you in big ways? Absolutely not.

Our God is a Mighty God and able to do exceedingly more than we could ever hope to imagine, or dream to achieve, and all He needs to do it is your willingness.

Today, are you willing?

Will you be His billboard?

What keeps you from sharing Christ with others who need to hear how He’s changed your life?  What one thing could you do differently today, that when changed might alter the course of someone else’s journey?