Tuesday, February 16, 2010Thought of the Day: "Obedience does not consist in paying God back and thus turning grace into a trade. Obedience comes from trusting in God for more grace- future grace- and thus magnifying the infinite resources of God's love and power."
I haven't blogged about A Godward Life in a very long time, but God really placed it on my heart to do this as part of my QT before I go to bed.
The subtitle for today's reading is "Pondering the Power We Need for Obedience." In this reading, John Piper explores three problems of using our gratitude for God's grace as an impetus for our obedience:
1) We cannot pay back God's grace.
2) By "trading" our obedience for God's gracious gifts, we are making grace a business transaction, which basically nullifies grace.
3) Focusing on past grace as a motivation for obedience tends to overlook the importance of future grace.
We should obey God, not because we're grateful that He's taken us through before, but because we know that our steps of faith in obedience will land right in the abundant provisions that His future grace will offer us. Past grace should help us understand the guarantee of future grace, and in grasping the constancy of this future grace, we should step out in faith and in radical obedience.
Praise God for His inexhaustible grace! =)
I haven't blogged about A Godward Life in a very long time, but God really placed it on my heart to do this as part of my QT before I go to bed.
The subtitle for today's reading is "Pondering the Power We Need for Obedience." In this reading, John Piper explores three problems of using our gratitude for God's grace as an impetus for our obedience:
1) We cannot pay back God's grace.
2) By "trading" our obedience for God's gracious gifts, we are making grace a business transaction, which basically nullifies grace.
3) Focusing on past grace as a motivation for obedience tends to overlook the importance of future grace.
We should obey God, not because we're grateful that He's taken us through before, but because we know that our steps of faith in obedience will land right in the abundant provisions that His future grace will offer us. Past grace should help us understand the guarantee of future grace, and in grasping the constancy of this future grace, we should step out in faith and in radical obedience.
Praise God for His inexhaustible grace! =)
Labels: A Godward Life
2:40 AM |
Tuesday, January 26, 2010Thought of the Day: "Over the slow fires of misery that he learned to keep banked and the heavy pressure deep within him, his innate qualities of patience, tolerance, forbearance, and forgiveness were tempered and refined."
Abraham Lincoln had a mess of a marriage. Who knew? I sure didn't. From the way that he has been portrayed in history as a strong, capable, and respectable man, I had no idea he struggled so much in his home life.
I'm not married just yet, so today's devotional reading spoke more to me about just the people that God has placed in my life. What I've gained from it is that a pain-free relationship is basically no relationship at all.
Sometimes God puts people in our lives, or us in theirs, to adjust us and equip us. He puts us with people who bring out the worst in us, so that He can bring out the best in us.
Isn't God so perfect in bringing us through these trials so that we can endure them and be refined? The fires of misery of some relationships will only serve to strengthen the characteristics that God wants to bring out in us.
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." - James 1:12
Praise the Lord! =)
Labels: A Godward Life
1:05 AM |
Tuesday, January 19, 2010Thought of the Day: "Let us learn to discern whether the words spoken against us or against God or against the truth are merely for the wind- spoken not from the soul, but from the sore. If they are for the wind, let us wait in silence and not reprove. Restoring the soul, not reproving the sore, is the aim of our love."
One of the biggest struggles I've had in my attempts to evangelize is that against the unbelief of people who have been hurt by life. These people have what John Piper calls "sores" from the trials and struggles of this broken world. With these sores, they have spoken out against God in a way that has offended me. Sometimes my first response is to tell them to grow up and just see the light. Sometimes when people complain to me that if God were real, He wouldn't have let so-and-so happen, I want to just admonish them for thinking they could know better than the Creator of the universe.
The Bible, however, speaks clearly to this in the story of Job. In a mix of RSV and NIV translations, Job 6:26 reads, "Do you mean to correct what I say, when the speech of a despairing man is wind?"
When faced with grief, pain, and despair, people often say things against God that they don't usually mean. Such words are wind, and will quickly blow away. Our duty, then, is to wait silently out of love for these words to blow away. A time will come when the people who suffer will understand how meaningless their words of despair and bitterness were in the light of God's glory and abundant grace.
Praise Him for His provision. :3
One of the biggest struggles I've had in my attempts to evangelize is that against the unbelief of people who have been hurt by life. These people have what John Piper calls "sores" from the trials and struggles of this broken world. With these sores, they have spoken out against God in a way that has offended me. Sometimes my first response is to tell them to grow up and just see the light. Sometimes when people complain to me that if God were real, He wouldn't have let so-and-so happen, I want to just admonish them for thinking they could know better than the Creator of the universe.
The Bible, however, speaks clearly to this in the story of Job. In a mix of RSV and NIV translations, Job 6:26 reads, "Do you mean to correct what I say, when the speech of a despairing man is wind?"
When faced with grief, pain, and despair, people often say things against God that they don't usually mean. Such words are wind, and will quickly blow away. Our duty, then, is to wait silently out of love for these words to blow away. A time will come when the people who suffer will understand how meaningless their words of despair and bitterness were in the light of God's glory and abundant grace.
Praise Him for His provision. :3
Labels: A Godward Life
1:11 AM |
Friday, January 15, 2010Thought of the day: "God loves to show his tireless power and wisdom and goodness by working for people who trust him."
The closest I've ever come to pulling an all-nighter involved staying up until 5AM to finish a paper due at 9AM. I can't imagine pulling a complete all-nighter. That's horrendous.
The Bible, however, says that our God stays up all night, every night, to work for our good. Psalm 121:3-4 says "He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."
It reminds me of that story of Elijah facing the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. No matter how loudly they cried out to their God, there was no response, and no fire came down. From morning until noon, they shouted. At noon, Elijah began to taunt them, goading them to shout louder, exclaiming, "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened."
Isn't it beautiful that our God never sleeps, and He never needs to be awakened? He works tirelessly for the good of those who love Him. In fact, 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." Not only does God not sleep, but His eyes actually go looking through the earth for opportunities to strengthen us and work good in our lives. Not only does He not lounge around, but He also actively pursues us for our good.
God is so great! Praise Him! =)
The closest I've ever come to pulling an all-nighter involved staying up until 5AM to finish a paper due at 9AM. I can't imagine pulling a complete all-nighter. That's horrendous.
The Bible, however, says that our God stays up all night, every night, to work for our good. Psalm 121:3-4 says "He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."
It reminds me of that story of Elijah facing the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. No matter how loudly they cried out to their God, there was no response, and no fire came down. From morning until noon, they shouted. At noon, Elijah began to taunt them, goading them to shout louder, exclaiming, "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened."
Isn't it beautiful that our God never sleeps, and He never needs to be awakened? He works tirelessly for the good of those who love Him. In fact, 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." Not only does God not sleep, but His eyes actually go looking through the earth for opportunities to strengthen us and work good in our lives. Not only does He not lounge around, but He also actively pursues us for our good.
God is so great! Praise Him! =)
Labels: A Godward Life
12:00 AM |
Tuesday, January 12, 2010Thought of the day: "Today's resources are for today, and part of those resources is the confidence that new resources will be given tomorrow."
Our God is faithful to provide for us. As Deuteronomy 33:25 says, "your strength will equal your days." God never tests us beyond what we are able to endure, and that means that His wise bestowment is the amount of trouble that we can bear each day, and no more than that.
With each day's new struggles, God gives us new mercies, new with each morning.
What a beautiful meditation to go to bed knowing before the first day of class during spring semester! Praise the Lord, for He is so good.
Our God is faithful to provide for us. As Deuteronomy 33:25 says, "your strength will equal your days." God never tests us beyond what we are able to endure, and that means that His wise bestowment is the amount of trouble that we can bear each day, and no more than that.
With each day's new struggles, God gives us new mercies, new with each morning.
What a beautiful meditation to go to bed knowing before the first day of class during spring semester! Praise the Lord, for He is so good.
Labels: A Godward Life
11:49 PM |
Monday, January 11, 2010Thought of the Day: Delight in God is our duty.
The way in which we can glorify the Lord the most is to show the world that we are most satisfied in Him, that whatever we do, the glory of God has satisfied the longings of our hearts. When Psalms 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord," it's not a suggestion, it's a command.
To love God is to enjoy everything that He is, not everything that He gives.
Praise Him!
The way in which we can glorify the Lord the most is to show the world that we are most satisfied in Him, that whatever we do, the glory of God has satisfied the longings of our hearts. When Psalms 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord," it's not a suggestion, it's a command.
To love God is to enjoy everything that He is, not everything that He gives.
Praise Him!
Labels: A Godward Life
3:50 PM |
