Psalm Thoughts

 

Psalm 46:1, 7-11

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

John Stott wrote “we live in an epoch of crisis.” This seems especially true these days. This Psalm gives me comfort in trying times, this doesn’t mean we won’t have trying and very difficult times, but it reminds me that Jesus is with us through it all, he is a present help in our times of trouble, our fortress here and now, our gain for all eternity.  

It is said that with his dying breath John Wesley exclaimed; “The best of all is, God is with us.”

So in these crazy days, let’s remember that God is God and he is with us!

Easter 2023

Ephesians 1:7

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

Oh how I need the message of Easter, especially this year. In all my brokenness, in a time where I seem to get swallowed by my fears and shortcomings, where it seems I am driven by my doubts and insecurities, surrounded by a world of brokenness, and at times I have just this hopeless feeling. 

But, Easter tells me I can rest, I can be at peace because with Jesus it is finished. It shouts to me that I can be hope-filled and joyful because it will be so much better farther on. It proves to me that I can be thankful in all circumstances.  It assures me that I am redeemed, forgiven and steadfastly loved. And it inspires me to be amazed by the riches of God’s grace!  

Oh Lord how I need you everyday and wonderfully Easter convinces me that no matter what you are with us…

Happy Easter Everyone - He has risen! 

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!