Author: Jason

I remember when I would pack for cross country meets in high school that my teammates would give me a hard time about the large bag I carried.  I had everything with me for any weather, including multiple pairs of shoes and all sorts of stuff I never ever used.   

Sometimes I feel like I lived my life that way, carrying stuff around that I never use.   Over the last several years I have attempted to become more and more of a minimalist when it comes to stuff.  Just carrying what I need and what is smart to have.   Sometimes I still carry a big bag of stuff, but now I call it being prepared!! 

Seriously,  I’ve shedded all sorts of stuff both physical, emotional and spiritual.  I’ve worked hard to get things down to bare bones, to just what is required for the activity at hand, and I’ve learned how to let some stuff go and adapt more than I ever could years ago.

However, there’s one thing I can’t live without.   

A few weeks ago, I was I attended a worship service where the song Breathe was on the ‘playlist’.  I had forgotten about this song for some reason.  

It’s odd I forgot about it.  But when I heard the chords start, I was taken back in time.  Back to when my children where small.  Many nights in those days, after the house would shut down and everyone was asleep I would retreat to my office to work and read and most nights I find myself listening to music and worshiping.   This song help shape my heart during those years and helped keep me focused on the important things in life. And more importantly- the one thing I needed.  

Over the last few weeks I’ve found myself listening to it again and again.

I can’t help but get stuck on the words ‘this is my daily bread’  and ‘this is the air I breathe’.  Despite all the stuff and blessings in my life, the one thing I can’t do without is the Spirit of the Lord and the redemption that comes from the Christ. 

I find that I am more and more desperate for those each and every day and that I’m totally lost without it.

Desperate for one thing, and totally lost without it!!!!

I was doing a quick surf of my twitter time line this morning and saw that one of my buddies mentioned 1 Timothy. In fact that was his entire tweet.   I decided to take a quick look over there to see what might stand out to me.  For some reason this sentence was one of many in the first chapter that really called out to me today.

I think this is something that we all should always remember and maybe state to ourselves every morning!

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.”  1 Timothy‬ ‭1:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

One of my favorite verses is right at the start of Romans 12.  It seems my mind comes back to this passage over and over and over.  It’s the words ‘in view of God’s mercy’ or in some passages ‘in light of God’s mercy’  that cycles through my mind all the time.

The mercy of our Father is such an important part of my everyday life.  I try to think about this concept when I am faced with tough choices, or when I am examining my behavior, or when I find myself to be selfish.

I am so thankful that he is merciful. I love the concept of living in a way that feebly attempts to ‘repay’ the mercy I have received through the way I live and love others.   I am amazed by the certainty of redemption.

But in the end, I know I come back to the idea of mercy, because I know I can’t imagine actually having to pay the price for the actions that I take.

“Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O LORD.”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes I think I am in control.  I think that I actually get to decide what happens during my day.  As a great friend once told me, I think the world revolves around me.   But seriously, I make plans, I try to direct things, I push and go in certain directions.  I am the master of my fate.  And in lots of ways, that’s true.  I can set goals and achieve things.  I can do the things that set me down a path.

But not so all the time.

Sometimes, you can’t control it.  It’s like the day is running you.  A sickness, an injury, the plans of someone else changing yours.

It’s a good thing to remember that no matter what is happening, whether we think it’s good, bad, or all over the place, the Lord is actually guiding and his will is what gets done and his glory is what we ultimately need to strive for.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9

There are some days that you just don’t want to see arrive.  It could be the start of work after a three day weekend.  It could be a change in a job, a dreaded event or even the arrival of a long scheduled appointment.

On those days it’s hard to watch the sun break over the mountain top.

The good thing is that with whatever we face each and every day, we have been given a hope in the living God that provides us a reason to face even those days with a certain joy.
“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.””

‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬