Everlasting Covenant

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Read Genesis 16-17

 

Abraham’s privilege is our great blessing. We are his spiritual descendants and benefit from the Lord’s promises made to Abraham. Believers can rightly apply God’s Word as true, even future promises as good as done. The land of Canaan, the Promised Land, will be made new for us in a new heaven and new earth. Our Home is with the Lord, our Father, forever.

The Abrahamic covenant still stands, brought under the New Covenant instituted by Jesus Christ- no more shedding of blood for our sins. Christ has done this and it is magnificent and sufficient. Abraham’s lineage is marvelous because God made it so. People from every tribe, every tongue, every nation come together as One Family in Christ.

We can hold onto these forever promises, a bound covenant in which God cannot/ will not lie. El Roi is with you, He sees you, and watches over you in His love. He is good enough to even call us not just servants and friends, but sons and daughters. Believer, you are eternally His.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” -Zephaniah 3:17

 

Grace upon grace,

April

Knowing God

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Read Genesis 11:1-13:4; Psalm 5; Proverbs 1:24-28; Matthew 5:1-26

 

In the Genesis account, mankind continues to flourish in population but their lifespan becomes shorter after the Flood. Under one language the people work together, to build a tower attempting to reach the heavens. In man’s hubris we seek to be equal with God. The Lord then scatters the people by confusing their speech and then scatters them over the face of the earth.

God later calls Abram into a relationship with Him. Abraham responds by obediently following God, not to be like God, such as the people at Babel. His life after this encounter is never the same. Abraham still sins in his lifetime out of fear and passivity, not trusting the Lord in those times, yet He obeyed with great faith and was considered “a friend of God”. The Lord mercifully and wonderfully works through His flawed creation!

Jesus’ sermon in Matthew 5 directs us in how we relate to others and to God. The people at the tower of Babel failed to see how people can honor the Lord when working together to glorify Him. So God frustrated their plans. Abraham demonstrates how we properly relate to our Creator through his faithful obedience and humility.

Our call today is to seek the Lord while He may be found. We can follow Him and into eternity but this opportunity to know God will not always be available. Either our lives will end or Christ will come.

God makes Himself known to those who desire to follow Him like Abraham. Do I know God this way? As a friend? What would others say of your life at the end? Do you live a life of faith like Abraham? Do you know God? Jesus Christ has made this relationship possible bridging the gap between our sin and God’s righteousness. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

 

Grace upon grace,

April

Operation Redemption

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Read Genesis 8:1-10:32; Psalm 4; Proverbs 1:20-23; Matthew 4:12-25

 

In the Genesis section Scripture shows the flourishing of mankind on the earth. Our struggle in a fallen world and natural inclination for wickedness are noted. Psalms 4 and the Proverbs portion go on to describe how men love delusions, distractions, and false gods, rejecting the wisdom God offers, which is Himself. The world rejects Christ.

And then in Matthew 4 we see the plan of redemption put into motion, with “feet on the ground”. Jesus incarnate begins His earthly ministry and changes the course of history for mankind. He brings light to a dark, spiritually desolate world.

Over time and many generations later, we defer back to our flesh, forgetting God or what He has done. Our hearts are calloused, our ears deaf and our eyes blind to the truth of the Gospel. Jesus came to break free the captive from sin and death. He offers eternal life in Him and with Him. He only calls us to follow Him.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…”  (Isaiah 61:1-2; fulfilled in Luke 4:16-21)

“Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy…” (Psalm 4:6-7)

 

Grace upon grace,

April

 

Noah’s obedience

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Read Genesis 5:1-7:24; Psalm 3; Matthew 3:7-4:11

Noah was a righteous man who walked with God. He obeyed the Lord’s commands to build an ark. What’s important to note here is that Noah could not have done this in his own strength. Noah like the rest of mankind, is corrupt, inclined to wickedness.

Men and women in the Bible commended for their godliness operate out of obedience to God’s power in them. This is part of the mystery concerning God’s Sovereignty and man’s will. It is the Lord’s grace. He gives us the desire and faith to follow Him, yet we have to be obedient to this call. It is a lifelong process, as the old nature is being removed and our new nature in Christ becomes what we want (Romans 7:14-8:4). As the righteous live by faith, our desires begin to match the Father’s will.

Jesus demonstrated perfect obedience even under great temptation and physical weakness. When Satan seeks to destroy Him in the desert, Christ clings to the Word of God. Knowing the Scriptures, Jesus refutes the Enemy by speaking what is true. Satan knows the Bible as well yet perverts it for his own gain, mishandling the verses he quotes.

Our habits, how we spend our time, is a reflection of what is important to us. We become what we behold. We have examples in the Bible of obedience through imperfect people, as well as our Perfect Example in Christ. This is a great comfort because it means that Jesus understands what it’s like to be tempted as we are yet He did not sin (Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:15).

Do you pursue holiness or abuse God’s grace with indifference? Do you rely on the Lord’s strength or your own? We are called to be faithful and obedient. This is why Noah is considered righteous before God. He believed and obeyed. Do you?

 

Grace upon grace,

April

The Cursed Serpent

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Read: Genesis 3:1-4:26; Psalm 2; Matthew 3:1-6

Christ became sin for us, becoming a curse, bearing God’s wrath so that believers will never have to. Jesus has made us free (2 Corinthians 5:21).

It’s interesting that Satan is identified as a serpent in Genesis 3, to tempt the first man and woman to sin. Later on in the book of Numbers, Moses obeys the Lord’s command to construct a bronze serpent for God to heal the Israelites bitten by venomous snakes. They had complained against God’s provision and Moses’ leadership. Realizing their sin, the people repented. When they looked at the bronze snake set up on a pole, the people who were bitten lived. (Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:14-15).

From the Fall the serpent foreshadows Jesus becoming sin for us and His sacrificial death on a cross. We see directly after the Fall how sin corrupted mankind. But God in His mercy sends Jesus to redeem His people from eternal death and give us life in Him! The serpent symbolizes our curse, but God uses this very image as a means to save us through Jesus taking on our sin. He is lifted up on a cross, like Moses placed the bronze snake on a pole. Anyone who looks to Christ will be saved from death and the serpent of Satan will not have victory over you.

Jesus crushed the head of the serpent overcoming death and sin, restoring His Beloved (Genesis 3:15). Those in Christ Jesus are called to continue this mission of mortifying the flesh, crushing the will of Satan as we engage in spiritual battle every day (Romans 16:20). This is the power of Christ at work in us. Satan does not have the final victory. The war does not belong to Him. God has already won. Praise be to God!

“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.”  1 Peter 2:24

 

Grace upon grace,

April

 

A faithful gift

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“As long as the earth endures, 

seedtime and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

will never cease.”

Genesis 8:22

This is a promise the Lord made to Noah after the flood. We can still see the faithfulness of His covenant today. As long as the world endures, God orchestrates the seasons of the year, rotating the Earth, allowing us to experience variety in nature.

The gift of sight.

We behold His beauty, His creativity, His faithfulness daily in creation. But it isn’t just in nature. The Father works in our lives individually to show us His power and love. We see Him in our circumstances. How has the Lord been faithful to you? Day by day He gives us grace- from each breath we take, to providing food, people who love us and we can love in return, His Word, and the gift of His always with-ness through the Holy Spirit, God with us, Immanuel.

Physical gifts, material blessings, and spiritual riches. These are ways the Lord lavishes us, ways we can delight in Him. But the Gift we have most to be thankful for? Jesus. This Thanksgiving, whatever our circumstances are, we can be joy-filled and grateful because we have Christ. Reflect on His faithfulness to you over the year and your lifetime. Write some of them down. Jesus went to the cross for you and me. He didn’t have to, but perfectly loved and obeyed the Father. He willingly laid down His life for sinners, to set us free. Christ came and died and lives.

He is Enough.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

Ordinary World Changers

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It’s mid-morning. I dump the rest of his soggy cereal in the sink. Jesse is now at school, peppering his teaching aide with the same question, “when is P.E.?” It’s his favorite part of the day. Normally I listen to a podcast driving back home, navigating the morning traffic and various school zones. The Holy Ordinary Collective podcast highlights stories from everyday life- people like you and me. I’m struck with the exquisite detail in storytelling from the speaker as she composes the soundtrack to someone’s life.

The listener gets a window view into the ordinariness of it all, which may not seem newsworthy. But what I’m drawn to in these slices of life is the faith of the person in each story. The Lord weaves His tapestry of grace through the fabric of each sentence. The speaker’s soothing voice encourages my spirit by sharing snippets of a faithful follower. The stories here aren’t flashy, but lived out in the normal moments. The woman in Unexpected Gifts spoke of our lives lived not on the mountain tops or in valleys, but mainly somewhere in-between.

Pour the coffee. Drive to work. Put a load of laundry in. Repeat the next day.

So what does it look like for those of us who desire to usher in the Kingdom of God here? How can a stay-at-home mom, a full-time employee, the elderly, a high schooler, change the world? What does that even mean?

Bringing God’s Kingdom to earth, happens mostly as we live each day pursuing personal holiness, delighting in the wonder of God. The sacred work is in staying faithful right where God has called us.

Paul illustrates the body of Christ by comparing it to an actual body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). There are many parts and we each have a role to partake. We change the world in our own circle of influence. We raise the next generation, making disciples in our own home. We say ‘yes’ to an opportunity for local missions or lead a small group. We say ‘yes’ to staying faithful in our marriages, family devotions, and in prayer. We intentionally build relationships, attend our local church and look for ways to serve one another.

Our everyday life is where our faith grows up. This isn’t a product of moralism or legalism, but out of the root of genuine love for Jesus. We want to be like Him, to know Christ and to make Him known.

When we are tempted at the end of the day to rush through bedtime prayers with our kids let us remember how to patiently persevere. When the floor needs to be swept (again) from all the crumbs on the floor may we not complain. It may seem monotonous, pointless and even fruitless at times, but God uses us in the various jobs we have to point others to Christ in what we do and say. You may be the only person someone sees Jesus in today. We may never know the impact our words and simple acts of love have on another soul.

The Lord urges us to not grow weary in doing good. Your faithfulness to God’s design for your life is what makes you a world changer. I don’t think that’s an overstatement. We were not created to “save the world”. Jesus already did that. But we do get to take part in declaring Jesus’ mark on our lives to a lost people.

We plant our feet in the soil where we are, being deeply rooted in God’s Holy Word, serving as the living, breathing, body of Christ. The domino effect of our obedience brings God’s Kingdom to earth so that one day people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will give glory to God (Revelation 7:9-12).

So I’ll pick Jesse up from school this afternoon, in between the errands and grocery shopping. It isn’t glamorous, but it is obedient and pleases God.

 

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:9-10

 

Grace upon grace,

April

 

 

The Gift of Silence

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Hi reader! I’m over at Our Shared Tales today talking about the gift of silence and why it matters. Maybe you think carving out slices of quiet is a luxury, but it can be practically applied to you too. Read the full post here or check out the excerpt below. 

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Fred Rogers aka “Mister Rogers”, once said in an interview that “silence is a gift”. He then proceeded to sit in silence with the interviewer… the awkwardness in the room is palpable. You can see this clip in a documentary on his life called Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Mister Rogers wasn’t trying to get a laugh, although it was amusing to watch. Rather, he was communicating a truth I often fail to see.

Silence seems boring and unproductive. It can make us uncomfortable. In America, we are hardwired for the exact opposite. From the moment our eyelids peel open each morning we have access to sensory overload. It can start to become normal, serving as background noise….

Click to read the full post

 

Grace upon grace,

April

3 Ways to Practice Gratitude

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He stomped his foot and looked at me with arms crossed in displeasure. This behavior is a recent development that I have mixed feelings about. Obviously defiance is not okay and needs loving correction. But on the other hand, I see his behavioral development as crossing a threshold, and it makes me jump with excitement on the inside.

Progress.

Noticing little changes like this even when the result isn’t so great is a step towards thriving. And he is, we just go at a slower pace than most. That’s okay.

Sometimes I get stuck on a merry-go-round of sadness noticing all the ways my son isn’t like his peers. It can quickly plummet into a downward spiral if I don’t get off that circus ride. Most days we operate in our own world without the comparison of typical children since my son is an only child.

The days we are around other kids can feel like a bucket of ice water dumped over me. A cold reminder. I hate being blindsided by my feelings like that. It’s not just because my son has special needs. He’s amazing and I know that. The isolation Jason and I experience as parents is what can make me bitter. We get pushed aside in those casual conversations parents have about their typical kids, concerned their child will fall behind in school, soccer practices take over all their free time, or fill in the blank. It’s hard to not inwardly roll my eyes – because I’m mature like that.

It can feel like we are speaking a completely different language. Hello Holland, hello Italy.

What I am learning on this journey of special needs parenting is that pain is universal, but not divided equally. It doesn’t matter the size of your problem, we all have feelings that matter and should be validated. I never want to minimize what a friend is going through just because I can’t understand it.

If I am going to practice grace toward others, I first need to learn the secret of contentment in my own circumstances. I have failed to do this in my own strength, but  have had victories in the Spirit’s power too. I want to learn how to honor someone else’s struggle so that I can come alongside them, not dismiss their trials.

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Here are 3 things I know to be true in cultivating grace and gratitude:

1. Comparison is the thief of joy.

It breeds discontentment. Comparing ourselves with people we know or people we’ve never actually met (Instagram influencers, celebrities, etc.) manifests quietly in our hearts, as our thoughts lash out toward that person, usually without them ever knowing. We end up in envy and self-pity that eats away at our spirits if we don’t change direction.

2. Competing over our trials leads to bitterness.

I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes we rank the severity of our trials with one another. We use our pain as a measuring stick of “how bad we have it” instead of seeking to comfort a hurting friend. I know I’ve done it. But the different kinds of suffering we experience isn’t an indication of how spiritually mature we are. How we respond in those trials, big or small, is the factor.

Do I run to the Lord for refuge? Do I lick my own wounds and try to patch them up? Do I just get angry?

3. A thankful heart guides us back to the Father.

The reason God commands us to be thankful people is that its good for us. Our outlook is brighter and our hearts lighter when we see how much we are blessed. Count the ways, big and small, that God has shown you grace upon grace. It doesn’t come natural for us, but living out this God-honoring principle will be a blessing in itself. Grateful people are happy people. So I start to notice how he is currently laughing, clasping both hands over his mouth as if to contain the giggles bubbling out. The way he is super polite, always making sure to say “Excuse me” in the right context or “thank you” and “please”. We celebrate the small accomplishments, not taking them for granted.

I see how God is using our present circumstances in a new school to help his speech sky rocket. His teachers and therapists are amazing. Not only that, we have been tremendously blessed with a church family that loves him and supports us. Our families live nearby and help any way they can and often.

These are things the Lord has reminded me of lately. He is faithful to turn my heart back to Him with gentle reminders of His love for me, for my son. More importantly, the temporary blessings point toward the greatest blessing I have forever: Christ. They’re like arrows that lead me back to Him, because of what Jesus did at the cross. For me, for you. It all circles back to Christ. Preaching the Gospel to ourselves each day realigns our  ungratefulness to His grace-filled heart.

Grace upon grace,

April

Becoming who you already are

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Do I love Him?

Do I love Jesus deeply? Is He becoming what I treasure most?

Becoming…

It is a life long transformation. On one side we are instantaneously made righteous, redeemed, adopted. On the other side the Lord is patiently working out our salvation, growing our faith and love for Christ every day.

It’s the broken hallelujah being restored living in the middle of “already and not yet”. Jesus Christ has come and died and rose. My Hope is made real the more I see, the more I love the unseen. My eyes begin to adjust to the Light as I am washed in His Word.

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We have one foot in this world and one foot in heaven. It can be hard at times to live out the resurrected life. But it is ours for the taking. We have the Holy Spirit’s power to wield into our every day lives.

How do we do this exactly? In reading through the Scriptures you start to notice themes and commands that serve as the backdrop to all of life. It goes something like this:

Take your sin seriously because we offend a Holy God. Pursue personal holiness even when trials come. Commit your way to the Lord.

We stumble. Grieve our sin, repent, seek God’s unending storehouse of mercy. We do not live as one condemned. Lean into our freedom as sons and daughters of the Most High. This is the rhythm of Christianity.

Becoming…

You already belong to God as a believer. Jesus made this possible. We live on the other side of the cross, complete with the canon of Scripture to read whenever we want. I need these reminders too. We have to preach the Gospel to ourselves not just on Sundays but every single day of the week.

This is my prayer and offering to you-

Father, 

Let Your truth fall fresh on us. Captivate our hearts and minds with Love so Divine, demanding our soul, our life, our all. Help cultivate within us deep joy and abiding faithfulness today, tomorrow, into the rest of our eternity when we will see You face to face. Our hallelujahs made fully complete.

Grace upon grace,

April