Lessons From James

The book of James has a strange impact on me. It causes me to struggle. There is tension - Gospel tension. With 59 commands in 108 verses how do I reconcile these commands and my inability to live up to these commands. James merely shows me my hopeless state, and yet if we look closely in James there is hope, Gospel Hope.  It seems to me, James is pointing me to Jesus. Point is not strong enough, it sends me running to Jesus, it humbles me, it shows me that grace is the only hope for me, a sinner. 

James teaches us that mercy triumphs over judgement (2:13) and reminds us the Lord is compassionate and merciful (5:11) and then shows us the hope we broken ragamuffins have in Christ with a simple yet overwhelming and breathtaking statement; ‘But he gives more grace!’ (4:6) Oh that amazing, healing, restoring grace! Thank you Lord Jesus. 

And Lord help me humbly walk along this path with a merciful and forgiving heart, with compassion and grace just as you have had mercy on me, forgiving me with the compassion and grace that only you can provide. 

You know God is love! 

Grace and peace!

Beautifully Broken

Warren Haynes has a song that is titled Beautifully Broken with a haunting (at least for me) chorus:

Beautifully broken

Shaped by the wind

Dangerously twisted

Here I go again

Here I go again

I know that I often feel this way on my walk in this broken world. But we have a very real and a very comforting assurance. Hebrews 2:11 assures us as follows:

…For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers…

This verse show us that with the help and presence of our loving and perfect big brother, we can turn from our present imperfections toward a less imperfect path with faith and trust in the future grace we will need.

What assurance we have, assurance that we now stand perfect and complete in the eyes of our Good, Good Father not because we are perfect now,  or because we are complete, but entirely because of the perfect and complete work of our big brother who is shaping us (sanctifying, setting apart, being made holy) step by step…day by day.

This is the perfect picture of oneness in Christ…the perfect picture of our perfect and holy and loving big brother leading us from beautifully broken to more beautiful and less broken! We know we are now traveling in grace and we can trust in future grace along the way!

Safe travels for sure…

Grace and peace!

Utter Dependence

Psalm 121:1-3

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.

Oh Father, in these crazy days I have become so aware of my (our) utter dependence on you! Forgive me  Father God for thinking I could do it on my own.  Yet how hopeful that my (our) help comes from you, the maker of heaven and earth!

So Father I cry out for help…help us with pandemics and variants, with political, social, economic, and racial divisions, with so many environmental and climate issues and for us on the Gulf Coast with this thing called red tide. 

Help me (us) be a little more like Jesus, inch by inch…step by step. Help us all to be kind to one another, to love and forgive and just care about others. 

And Father I don’t pretend to know your ways and I don’t know if you will help like I think of help, but I sure do know you can!  

Abba Father, trusting you and praying these things in the most beautiful and wonderful name of Jesus Christ, Amen and Amen! 

Dazed and Confused

 

Father God,

Psalm 138:7-8 says:

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

Oh Father, in a time, at least for me, of feeling lost and not a losing faith kind of lost as my faith seems to be growing, I am more amazed by you every day, my love for you is growing as I come to terms with the sacrifice you made to love me first.  This lost feeling is more a dazed and confused kind of feeling with all that is going on in the world, it’s a feeling of which direction and wondering what’s next.  

At times (lots of times) I do feel like I am walking in the midst of trouble filled with enemies while also recognizing that most of these so called troubles and enemies are of my own making. Yet you preserve my life, you deliver me and even more astounding is that you love me and will forever, and because of that love my purpose will be fulfilled even if I don’t see it or understand it right now. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

So, my prayer today is for the sojourners of this broken and crazy world (and aren’t we all sojourners). That we would continue to seek you first, that we would continue one step at a time despite the circumstances of life, the negative, the divisive, the concerning. That we would move forward by trusting you and not our understanding, that we would in all ways acknowledge you and your grace, your love and your oh so tender mercies. May we all press on in the knowledge no matter our path that you are with us always. May we all press on knowing that Christ has gone before us. May we all press on empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Abba Father, I love you too and pray in the astonishing name of Jesus Christ. 

Amen and Amen!