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Paid as a Gift

I mentioned in my last post about how my mind was circling back to Monday’s post.  The same goes for the Lavished post from Tuesday.   I find myself a little overwhelmed this week when I think about the great love that the Father has for us.

Recently, I wrote about one of my favorite hymns ( my favorite being maybe In Christ Alone, or Give Me Jesus, or Come Thou Fount or maybe something else!) Anyway, this week this one is back in the front of my mind.  ‘How Deep the Fathers Love’ has the feel of an old hymn, yet it’s only just over 20 years old.  It feels like I have sung this song before the Lord’s Supper for longer than that.  It’s one of those hymns that is so full of deep thoughts and theology.  Its lyrics contain such a deep yearning, and apparently, it speaks to me, because I also wrote about it here.

And so today, I think about the words of that hymn and drop my heart in the words of Paul to the Ephesians, (where I have been before).

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been savedand raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  Ephesian 2:4-8

The last part of that – so that no one may boast, wow!  What can any man boast in?  How we can even imagine the grace we have been given to cover our missteps.  The hymn covers this so nicely and ultimately ties it up with this humble finale which provides a foundation for hope and restoration that must be built on top of brokenness and understanding of our position.

Why should I gain from his reward? I can not give an answer.

This I know with all my heart, his wounds have paid my ransom.

And I am so glad that they have!  May my day be lived in a way that somehow honors that gift!

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Casting

Earlier in the week, I wrote about being still and realizing God is in control.  That thought has bounced around in my mind all week, as I try to still the thoughts in my mind remember that his is sovereign.

So I reached out and grabbed on to this little bit of something from the Psalms and for some odd reason I like the King James version of this encouragement

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: Psalm 55:22 KJV

Cast them!  Cast all of them!