Month: February 2017

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

Last night my Mountaineers, after leading for almost all of the first 38 minutes of the game, decided to blow a 12 point lead in the last 2 minutes of the game and lose to Kansas in overtime.

Man!

I was thinking about that game this morning and what I could learn from it to apply to my life and I started thinking about these words which seem to be something to think about today.

“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬
And well, I know the Mountaineers will bounce back.  Sometimes your win and sometimes things just don’t go your way.  Either way, stay strong and stay courageous.

Saw this yesterday and thought it was good to share.   I am always impressed by the knowledge or foresight of Mr. Tozer.

"The more I learn about the sin in my own heart, the more I want to know God's grace." AW Tozer #tozer

— A W Tozer (@TozerAW) February 6, 2017

I totally agree with him on this thought!

but I would also say that the more I know about God’s grace, the more I want to give it.