Plea for Grace

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”   Matthew 6:9-13 ESV emphasis mine

I’m reading through “Extreme Devotion: daily devotional stories of ancient to modern day believers who sacrificed everything for Christ” (now isn’t that a title!?) published by Voice of the Martyrs.

Today’s entry spoke of a Romanian pastor who was betrayed to the secret police by

his associate pastor, his trusted friend

as he was being dragged away in the middle of the night, he called to his wife, “Give all my love to our son and to the pastor who denounced me.”

wow

Following is a portion of the commentary on this story:

“Jesus taught us that forgiving evil is for our own good.  Deep betrayal can cause us to close our hearts to our own experience of forgiveness.  If you find yourself being stingy in the forgiveness department, you will experience a meager sense of release from your own sins.  Being betrayed is bad enough.  Becoming bitter is a defeat you cannot afford. . .” (p. 10)

How quickly I process ceasing to be the judge and executioner for anyone who has wronged me has a direct relationship with how loved, how forgiven I feel toward the God who I offend every day. So . . .

if I continue to feel guilty after I have confessed my sin, and feel as though I must do “something more to prove to God I’m sorry,” then is it just a misunderstanding of the scope and completeness of God’s forgiveness, or is it because I refuse to accept a sincere apology from someone else, and feel that they must “prove” themselves to me?

if I can’t accept that all my sins are forgiven, is it a misunderstanding of the scope of Christ’s payment on the cross, or is it that I demand an apology from someone before I will forgive them? (Christ forgave all my sin before I confessed a single one.  He forgave all yours that way, too, unless you happen to be more than 2010 years old)

“Therefore welcome [accept] one another as Christ has welcomed [accepted] you, for the glory of God.” Romans 15:7 ESV

Father,

I want to revere and hallow Your name.  I want Your will to be done here on earth the same way it is in heaven.  But it isn’t that way now.  So, help me to see that I must forgive others in the same way You have forgiven me — completely, from the heart, trusting that Your kingdom will come and all things will be made right.  I want my life to display Your glory.  I want to be free of bitterness and unforgiveness, so that Your love will shine through me.  In Jesus’ precious and holy name,

Amen

I found this poem today, and just had to share it.  I’m sure that I have shared before that, without my physical limitations I know Jesus would not be my treasure!  That’s a hard thing to say sometimes — I don’t enjoy the constant pain, the intense fatigue that doesn’t lift by rest or sleep, the constant vigilance needed just to breathe correctly.

However, I KNOW that I NEED God; there is not a sense of “I can do ____ myself” because I really can’t.  That is a tremendous gift of a God who loves me supremely.  I want to display His faithfulness, His mercy, His glory to a world in darkness.  That’s why I am here.  That’s why I am still alive.  Not so that people will see me and all I do, but so that people will see Christ, and what He has done.

The Thorn
(a “mendicant” is a beggar)

I stood a mendicant of God before His royal throne
And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own.
I took the gift from out His hand, but as I would depart
I cried, “But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart.
This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me.”
He said, “My child, I give good gifts and gave My best to thee.”
I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore,
As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more.
I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace,
He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face.

–Martha Snell Nicholson

This woman suffered from four different incurable diseases.  She was bed-ridden for decades, but she loved her Savior and savored each moment of life she was given.  Her poetry is so comforting and challenging to me!

“Come to me [Jesus], all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly [humble] in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ESV [ ] mine

God’s Spirit brings this statement to mind often when I am feeling stressed and exhausted and “soul-spent.”  It’s a valuable check for my attitude — am I taking on what God has not given me?  Am I thinking too much of myself, that I am the “only one who can save” someone?

Jesus promises to give me rest.  “Rest” does not mean adversity; “rest” does not mean ease — “rest” is a peace of soul, a quiet confidence that I am in the loving hands of a Sovereign God who knows me and loves me and has my best interest and His glory in mind. “Rest” is peace.

Think on the following quote, and glory in the Savior’s rest . . .

“A humble person is simply a brutally honest person about the whole truth.  Humble people are small in their own eyes, honest about their struggles, and open to constructive criticism.  They trust that they are loved, accepted, forgiven, and redeemed just as they are.  Aware of their innate poverty, they throw themselves on the mercy of God with carefree abandon.” — Brennan Manning

The barrage of images is relentless — commercials, newspaper ads, radio spots, email, website popups — all reminding us of what we don’t have, and what we need to “make Christmas special.”
It’s so easy to get sidetracked; to allow our thoughts to turn to what I have been “denied” rather than to the incredible mercy and blessing of God.  The following was one of my prayers this morning. . .

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.  But I will flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.  (1 Timothy 6:9-11)

a Blessed Christmas, everyone,
bev

The following is an excerpt from “Wikipedia” on the subject of “holiday” –

Holiday

Holiday originally referred only to special religious days. In modern use, it means any special day of rest or relaxation, as opposed to normal days off work or school. The word derived from the notion of “Holy Day”, and gradually evolved to its current form.

As an observance

In all of the English-speaking world, including North America, holiday may refer to a day set aside by a nation or culture (in some cases, multiple nations and cultures) for commemoration, celebration, or other observance. . .

This year, I’m encouraging myself to truly commemorate, to truly celebrate, to truly observe the reason for our holiday.  So, when the tree goes up, do I pause to pray for and celebrate the people, places, events that are represented in the ornaments and nativity sets?

When I bake and cook, do I remember to pray for (and tangibly help) those who are hungry? Those who might be encouraged to know that someone thought of them during this season?

When I shop, am I buying presents to show genuine love and affection and generosity, or am I motivated by what others think or expect?  Am I proud or generous?

I’m not one of those who will chant — forsake all the commercialism of the holiday!  Just be mindful of what and who we commemorate, observe and celebrate this season.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4 ESV