“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’
That’s my prayer for anyone reading these words. May you know the joy of true salvation in Jesus Christ. May you find peace in the center of His will. May God grant you the desires of your heart as You draw near to His. May you know each and every day that you are dearly loved. May your light so shine so that others may come to know and glorify God because of you.
“Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace” (Dr. Donald Barnhouse).
I think the first two are possible because of the third. There is no worship or affection without grace. Unless God had first loved us, we couldn’t have loved Him — or anybody else.
I also think that sometimes God enables us to give the kind of love that stoops to those less fortunate. Sometimes, we’re the givers and sometimes we’re the receivers. But in every case, it’s grace. It’s where we look most like the Father.
I love this definition of worship because it’s more than singing songs. As great as it is to be caught up in a moment in the midst of praising God through music, we neglect the true nature of worship when we limit it to the three or four songs we sing on Sunday.
Affection is a word we need to take back from a society that has sexualized it. Affection can exist without there being any hint of romance. It can be between parent and child, brother and sister, or between friends. It’s tangible kindness on display.
Lord, teach us how to love like You have loved us. Help us not to be a Dead Sea of love where all the love in us never goes anywhere but stagnates. Help us to be rivers where the love flows in and through us to those who need it as much as we did (and still do). Amen.
We cry to you to be delivered from the power of sin, to be delivered from the power of temptation outside of us, but especially from indwelling sin within us. Lord, purify our heads, hearts, and hands. If it is necessary that we should be put into the fire to be refined as silver is refined, we would even welcome the fire if we may be rid of the dross. Lord save us from sins of temperament and from sins of our surroundings. Save us from ourselves in every shape, and grant us especially to have the light of love strong within us.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)“Flee from youthful passions…” (2 Timothy 2:22)What would you think of a man who went as near as he could to burning his house down, just to see how much fire it would stand? Or of one who cut himself with a knife to see how deep he could go without mortally wounding himself? Or of another who experimented as to how large a quantity of poison he could take?These are extreme follies, but not so great as that of a man who tries how much sin he may indulge in and yet be saved. Do not attempt such perilous experiments. “Come out from their midst and be separate … and do not touch what is unclean” (2 Corinthians 6:17). Shun with horror Satan’s old compromise; do not dream that you can love the world and yet have the love of the Father in you.
Sometimes, you just need a little Charles Spurgeon in your day. He was called the prince of preachers for a reason. I hope this will uplift and inspire you today.
“‘The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’ –John 4:14′
We are to be fountains through which Jesus can flow as ‘rivers of living water’ in blessing to everyone. Yet some of us are like the Dead Sea, always receiving but never giving. Whenever the blessings are not being poured out in the same measure they are received, there is a defect in our relationship with Him. Stay at the Source, closely guarding your faith in Jesus Christ and your relationship to Him, and there will be a steady flow into the lives of others with no dryness or deadness whatsoever” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest).
That’s the difference. The Dead Sea always takes but never gives. The result? No life, no benefit to anybody. Rivers give as continually as they take, and they are a constant source of life and blessing. We are blessed not in order to hoard but in order to give back. That way, our hands are always ready to receive more.
That’s the problem with most Christians in America. They sit and learn so much information but never put it into practice. They never take what they learn and pass it on to others. They consume but they never serve. All they do is take up a spot in a pew or a chair. But that’s not the Bible’s idea of being in a family of believers called a church.
The blessing comes to those who find a way to give back. The ones who only sit and absorb will inevitably find reasons to complain about how this or that isn’t done right or how they used to do it a different way. Those who are serving simply don’t have time for complaining. They’re too busy making a difference.
One of my favorite pastimes is going to Goodwill or ThriftSmart. I’m a fan of any kind of thrift stores, but those just so happen to be the closest ones to where I live.
It can be hit or miss. Some days, I won’t find anything remotely interesting. Sometimes, I might pick up one or two items that pique my interests. Today, I came home with an armload of treasures.
I found a book I’d been wanting to read for a while. It’s called Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey. After I brought it home, I discovered it was autographed.
I also picked up a video series on Learning to Love the Psalms by W. Robert Godfrey. I recently took a class at my church on praying through the Psalms, so this will be something beneficial. Plus, it’s put out by Ligonier Ministries, so I’m sure it will be really good.
I found a blu-ray of a movie I’ve been wanting to watch for a while called The Commitments, about a ragtag band in Ireland in the 60s who do 60s soul classics. I remember the language being a bit blue, but I think the music should be fantastic.
I also snagged a Memphis Showboats hat. It’s not the original 80s incarnation, but I do really like the blue and yellow colors, plus I can represent my hometown.
I guess I love thrifting because of what you find in the least likely places. I think God’s grace is a lot like that. It shows up when you least expect it but when you most need it. I read somewhere that God’s nature is always to give above and beyond what we deserve. You might even say that God gives prodigally and lavishly — almost to a wasteful extent because of how little we often appreciate the gifts or give thanks for them.
Above all, I think that thrifting helps me to see value in what the world says is worthless. Those things that show up at a thrift store because someone thought they were trash can end up being someone else’s treasure. So it is for God and God’s people.
I’m actually a fan of all four seasons. I do love summer . . to a point. But by the time September rolls around, I’m ready for fall. In my opinion, summer has a way of hanging around a bit too long like in the movie with the house guests that just wouldn’t leave.
I’d like summer better if it weren’t for all the humidity. But this is the South, and it’s kind of a package deal. Summer comes with bugs and humidity, period. You do not get to customize your season.
But I think the recent run of hot weather will only make me appreciate fall more, especially on those crisp Autumn nights where I can finally pull out my flannel. Plus, I have all my favorite holidays to look forward to.
Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall are all part of the cycle of life that God instituted so very long ago. The way life comes from death and new birth from barrenness is a picture of the spiritual life. Each season serves a purpose. If you took one out because it wasn’t your favorite, something would be missing and the cycle would be incomplete.
I don’t want to rush ahead. I want to savor the season I’m in and not miss anything by being too focused on the future. Still, I think I’m ready for pumpkins and jackets and leaves changing colors. Bring on fall, I say!
My boss where I used to work told me one time that any day without a toe tag is a good day. It took me a minute, but I got it. Any day you’re alive is a good day because God has you here for a reason. And that’s not just taking up cosmic space.
No one ever created in the history of the world was an accident. God made each and every one of us uniquely in His own image. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, not a product of random chance. That means you and I matter.
Only eternity will show the impact of our obedience and faithfulness. There may be people in heaven because of you. There may be people whose lives are radically transformed because you didn’t give up. You waking up and showing up to your life may be the difference in the life of someone else who’s thinking of quitting.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT).
“‘So the three mighty men . . . drew water from the well of Bethlehem . . . and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.’ –2 Samuel 23:16
What has been like ‘water from the well of Bethlehem’ to you recently–love, friendship, or maybe some spiritual blessing? Have you taken whatever it may be simply to satisfy yourself? If you are always keeping blessings to yourself and never learning to pour out anything ‘to the Lord,’ other people will never have their vision of God expanded through you” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest).
We aren’t blessed to hoard the blessings but to give them away. If we never share what God has given to us, it dies with us and no one is the better for it. But when we pour out those blessings and gifts, everyone around us benefits. We benefit. The Kingdom of God benefits.
How has God gifted you and what are you doing to give it away and pay it forward to someone else? That’s the secret to unlocking joy.
“Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.”
I grew up Baptist, so I had little to no experience with responsive readings and liturgies. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate The Book of Common Prayer and other texts that use the liturgy in worship.
I do think that there’s something to spontaneous praying where you speak to God from your heart with your own words. But there are times when you can’t find the words, so it’s good to have tried and true wisdom from the saints of old to fall back on. Often, these written prayers will help you springboard into your own prayers.
I still love how I can come before God with nothing coherent and my mind is like a million internet tabs open all at once, and still God hears me. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit can even take our groans and sighs that are too deep for words and translate those into acceptable prayers to God’s ear. He prays on our behalf to God — God praying to God — so even those times aren’t wasted.
At times, a verse or passage will come to mind and you can pray God’s word back to God. I do think God puts those into our minds at the times when we need them the most. Those times are the best.
Ragamuffingospelfan's Blog 