Renewed Minds {Wrap Up}

February 2, 2017 by Patti Brown Leave a Comment

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind! Jesus Christ through His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit can help you adjust your thinking. Your mental attitudes impact how you plan and how you process what happens in your life. Renew your mind to align with Christ!

The tiniest details of your day are impacted by the way you think about them. Your mindset can make all the difference.

If we invite Him to, Jesus Christ will transform our lives by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23). As Lindsey wrote, allow “Jesus to take control of your thoughts instead of allowing your thoughts to control you.”

This month the Do Not Depart team discussed some of the different mindsets Christians are blessed to be able to embrace through the power of Jesus’ work in our lives:

Optimism – Ali wrote, “Made as a choice over pessimism, optimism is an expression of the joy borne of faith, and repels doubting.”

Humility – Kelli reminded us that, “Grateful hearts start with humbled hearts. And being truly humble comes from knowing who God is and who we are.”

Faithfulness in Uncertainty – Lisa shared, “But our faith flourishes when we trust Him even without perfect knowledge. Making peace with uncertainty leaves room for God to work. And for us to move forward.”

Fearlessness – Lindsey listed scriptures about fear and worry to meditate on, as well as five suggestions on how to be unafraid in a scary world.

Hopefulness – Caroline wrote “We can focus on the worries and conflicts around us, or we can actively look for hope.”

Keeping an Eternal Perspective – I discussed the incredible reality that as children of God we are members of an eternal and spiritual realm already, and how this affects our daily lives.

Invite Jesus into your thought life. Allow Him to transform you by the renewing of your mind!

What mindset has helped you recently in your walk with Jesus?

Miss any posts in our #RenewedMinds series? Find them all here:

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Keeping an Eternal Perspective {Renewed Minds}

January 31, 2017 by Patti Brown 1 Comment

My mood was tense.

It was a jam-packed day, I wasn’t feeling well, and I was behind on several important tasks. My daughter asked, “Any update on that package?” She had an event coming up and we had ordered a special dress online to match the theme. Out in the country we don’t have many options for shopping. I had even paid extra just to make sure the dress arrived in time.

I checked the computer. The package was delayed again, now past the time frame that I had paid for, and was scheduled to arrive a week after the event. I quickly typed the website URL of the site we had ordered from, only to be met with a new message at the top of the site that the store would be closed for a holiday and wouldn’t be responding to messages until, you guessed it, a week after the event. Gah!

My son asked me a question and I snapped at him while typing a frustrated message to the store. My daughter got caught in the verbal onslaught of her irritated mama too. Snap snap snap, I wielded my words like an angry lobster snapping its unwieldy claws at anything coming near.

My wise daughter asked if we would like to pray. It took mere seconds during the prayer for me to regain perspective and feel conviction. What a silly and narrow view I was taking on the matter! Here was an opportunity to practice patience, to demonstrate resourcefulness, to be thankful for what we have… and instead I was focused on the inconvenience, and worried about disappointing my daughter.

Living with Eternity in Mind

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-2

It is so easy to be overwhelmed by the dailies isn’t it? Even without silliness like my dress order “drama,” the day-to-day of juggling the management of my home, my work, and homeschooling my kids can distract me from eternal matters. On top of personal issues, world news seems to become more and more alarming each year. And now we have social media to contend with, making the news all the more personal as we observe how it impacts the people in our lives. This earthly life, as beautiful as it can be, can also be distracting and discouraging.

But as children of God we are members of an eternal and spiritual realm already. It is like we live a double life – one foot on earth and one foot in heaven.

“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” Philippians 3:18-20

What would happen if you and I looked at everything through an eternal lens? How would it change what we perceived? How would it affect our responses?

What Changes When You Keep an Eternal Perspective?

Frankly, just about everything changes when you have an eternal perspective. Here are a few examples:

– You live aware that Jesus Christ abides in you!

“…do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

– Earthly frustrations and wants get put in their proper place. You recognize that they are insignificant in the vast expanse of eternal life.

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:17

– You make decisions and act based not on your circumstances but on God’s Truth.

“An eternal perspective affects our priorities and our actions” – Henry Blackaby

– You recognize that Satan is at the root of the struggles you face with others.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

– You grow in patience.

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James 5:7-8

Take Heart

Renewing our minds with an eternal perspective gives us hope in the midst of earthly struggles. This hope is alive through the power of Jesus Christ’s resurrection!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:3-7

My silly dress drama was minor even from an earthly perspective. It was inconsequential from an eternal perspective. And guess what? That dress showed up on our doorstep the day of the event after all!

Take heart, and stay focused. No matter what you may be going through, keeping your mind fixed on the truth of your eternal inheritance in Christ will help you navigate the storm.

Renewing our minds with an eternal perspective gives us hope in the midst of earthly struggles. #RenewedMinds

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“An eternal perspective affects our priorities and our actions” – Henry Blackaby #RenewedMinds

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At Your Right Hand {Memorizing Psalm 121:5}

January 30, 2017 by Lisa Burgess 5 Comments

We’ll focus on memorizing only one verse this week, Psalm 121:5. Join us if you can!

The “right hand” is mentioned over 160 times in the Bible. What does it mean? The right hand signified strength and a place of authority (for example, Christ is at the “right hand” of God interceding for us, Romans 8:34).

The right hand was also the hand used for blessing other people. (Remember when Jacob crossed hands and blessed the younger child, Ephraim, with his right hand instead of the older child, Manasseh, Genesis 48:14).

“The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.”
Psalm 121:5 (ESV)

As we rest in verse 5 this week, let’s thank God for being our shade of both strength and blessing.

For more study, read here.

God keeps; He shades. We’re blessed. Memorizing #Psalm121 v5. #HideHisWord

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What does the Lord’s “right hand” mean to you? Please leave a comment here or visit our Hide His Word Facebook group to continue the conversation.

Who Is Guarding You? {Memorizing Psalm 121:3-4}

January 23, 2017 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

In week 2 of memorizing Psalm 121, we’re introduced to our first two uses of “keep.” There will be six uses of “keep” before we’re finished. (“Keep” is also translated “watch” and “preserve” in other translations.)

“He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
Psalm 121:3-4 (ESV)

“Keep” is from the Hebrew word, shamar. It means to hedge about, to guard, to protect.

Who do you want to protect you?

Someone strong.
Someone who cares.
Someone who is always alert.

The only One who can keep you perfectly is the Lord.

As you meditate on these scriptures this week, feel blessed and walk confidently because you are being guarded by the Lord Himself, both your personal steps (your foot) and as a community of God’s people (he who keeps Israel).

For more study, read here.

When have you strongly felt the Lord’s protection in your life? Please leave a comment here or visit our Hide His Word Facebook group to continue the conversation.

Who do you want to protect you? Memorizing #Psalm121. #HideHisWord

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Holding on to Hope

January 21, 2017 by Caroline 1 Comment

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 (NIV)

So far this month, we’ve look at renewing our minds to optimism, gratitude, trusting through uncertainty, and dealing with fear.

Something that remains constant through all of this with renewed minds? Hope.

Hope always makes me think of growth.

Hope makes me think of a seed planted, and even though it hasn’t broken ground yet, it waits and hopes and is ready to grow when God says it’s time.

Hope reminds me that God may not be physically visible, but we can see Him any time we look for His people sharing His love, and anytime we read His words that love and truth will always lead the way (2 John 3).

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11:1

Hope as a Gift

Ali mentioned in her post earlier this month that “optimism is an expression of the joy borne of faith, and repels doubting.” Optimism is an expression of joy, which comes from faith. Joy is a gift.

And you know what? Hope is a gift too. It comes from trust and faith and His love for us.

One of our writers, Lisa, recently tweeted a quote from author Caroline Myss that reads: “Always, beyond the darkness, God’s greater plan is in motion. That is the truth you need to trust.”

God tells us we can always hope in Him (Jeremiah 29:11).

We can take joy from this hope, too (Romans 12:12).

And what is it we hope for, even in the darkness? Hope of His redemption and full adoption (Romans 8:22-25, 1 Peter 1:3-5) and full deliverance (2 Corinthians 1:7,10, 1 Timothy 4:10).

“Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” – Romans 8:23-25

Hope as a Mindset

As Patti said in the introduction this month, our habits and choices start in our heads. And even there, they start as thoughts and internal dialogue.

What we say out loud matters.

What we say to ourselves in our heads matters.

We can focus on the worries and conflicts around us, or we can actively look for hope.

And, as human nature is, it’s much easier to focus on the bad stuff around us. (Like Lindsay said earlier this month, we can choose what we allow to fill our minds.) So it really is an active intention to open our eyes to hope.

Hope leads to more hope which leads to more and more hope.

A Few Glimmers to Help You Hold On

With all that’s going on in our country and our world right now, I’ve been on the lookout for hope. Like Mister Rogers originally said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'” We can associate that to hope, too. Let’s look for hopers together.

Here are just a few of the many glimmers by God’s creation that are helping me open my eyes to hope:

Check out pretty much anything from Brad Montague and his #joyfulrebellion, like the Kid President videos and this hope video. In my experience, God created kids to know hope and spread it joyfully.
Bob Goff, author and believer, spreads hope everywhere he goes. Check out his work on Instagram, Twitter, his book, and his work with Love Does.
Read about the amazing work Be the Bridge is doing to spread hope and unity for all of God’s people. You’ll leave their Christ-centered site inspired.

And a few more verses on hope:

-Psalm 9:18 – “But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.”

-Psalm 62:5-8 – “Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.”

-Romans 5:1-2 – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God…”

-1 Corinthians 13:13 – “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

What glimmers of hope have you seen lately?

Let’s look for the *hopers* together this week:

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Part of #RenewedMinds means actively looking for hope. A few glimmers of hope here:

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How to Be Unafraid In a Scary World

January 17, 2017 by Lindsey 1 Comment

I’ve never been a particularly brave individual. I can count on one hand the number of somewhat reckless things I have done in my lifetime. (And I really do mean somewhat reckless. One of the things that makes the list is riding a roller coaster, if that tells you anything about me).

Being afraid comes much more naturally to me than being brave. Worry comes much more naturally than peace.

Maybe you can relate.

A friend of mine told me a story once about how she used to be terrified as a child that she would be home by herself and choke on something. She was so afraid, in fact, that she recorded herself saying her name and address along with this message. “This is pre-recorded message. I’m choking and need medical assistance.”

I laughed at my friend when she told me the story, but the truth is, I actually have this same fear. What if I choke while by myself? What if something happens to me and I’m unable to call 911 for assistance?

Fear is something with which a lot of us struggle.

Even though we claim to trust Jesus with our lives, we don’t always live like it.

This is especially the case for those of us who have been disappointed in the past. Maybe you’ve witnessed a loved one pass away. Maybe you’ve prayed and prayed for God to heal someone and instead watched that person slip away from you.

When you realize that being a Christian doesn’t give you a “get out of jail free” card, it’s easy to grow fearful. When you understand firsthand that God doesn’t always fix things for his people, it’s easy to wonder, “What is going to happen next? If God didn’t prevent X, what makes me think he will prevent Y?”

Fear might be common, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to ignore it and allow it to grow.

In fact, the Bible is abundantly clear that we aren’t meant to live in fear. Here are just a few of the many verses about fear and worry.

What the Bible Says About Fear and Worry:

Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (NIV)

Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (NIV)

Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (NIV)

1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (NIV)

Romans 8:15: “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (NIV)

Luke 12:22-24: “Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” (NIV)

Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (NIV)

Psalm 56:3-4: “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” (NLT)

Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (NIV)

2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (NLT)

1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (NIV)

So how can we do it? How can we live unafraid in a scary world?

All this month, we’ve been talking about renewing our minds, allowing Jesus to take control of your thoughts instead of allowing your thoughts to control you.

The truth is, it’s hard to be unafraid!

Here are a few suggestions to help:

How to Be Unafraid in a Scary World:

Meditate on Scriptures about being brave. Choose a few from the list above and commit them to memory. Whenever you feel fear creeping in, repeat one of these verses.
Pray often! Ask God to help you be unafraid.
Maintain your perspective. Yes, there are scary things in this world, and God didn’t promise us we would never encounter them. BUT, He did promise us an eternal home and that He would be with us in whatever we encounter.
Beware of what you allow to fill your mind. If you are afraid because of shows you have watched recently or news reports you have allowed into your home, shut off the tv. You don’t HAVE to watch the news if it upsets you.
Surround yourself with hopeful people. You will become like who you are around most.

I want to hear from you. What is your favorite Bible verse about fear or worry? Are there any tips you would add to this list?

5 ways to be unafraid in a scary world #RenewedMinds @LindseyMBell

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What the Bible Says About Fear and Worry #RenewedMinds @LindseyMBell

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Even though we claim to trust Jesus with our lives, we don’t always live like it. #RenewedMinds @LindseyMBell

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Get Your Help Here {Memorizing Psalm 121:1-2}

January 16, 2017 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

This week we begin memorizing Psalm 121. [Sign up now to receive resource links and weekly email reminders.] But even if you’re not memorizing, join us in reading along every Monday for six weeks.

We don’t know who wrote this Psalm, when, or on what occasion. But we can understand why:

To build confidence in the Lord’s care.

The psalm can be broken into four stanzas, with two verses in each stanza. This week we learn the first stanza.

Verse 1 asks a question; verse 2 answers it.
Who will help me? The Lord will.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:1-2

The technical term for the poetic structure used here is a chiasm (pronounced ky′-az-um). Chiasms are repetitions of similar ideas in reverse order. You can find them throughout the Old Testament as they were widely used to add extra emphasis. (Read more about chiasms here.)

Here’s the chiasm in Psalm 121:1-2:

A – Creation (the hills)

B – My help come(s)

B’ – My help comes

A’ – Creation (heaven and earth)

Where will we look for help this week?

We often look to money, to our family, to a change in our situation, etc. And God can and often does work through those things.

But instead of looking at created things for help, let’s look directly to the source, to the Creator Himself.

These two verses are the only ones in this psalm to use pronouns in the first-person: “I” and “my.”

Let’s keep it personal this week, too. I look and you look. My help and your help will come from the Lord.

For more study, read here.

What kind of help do you need this week? Please leave a comment here or visit our Hide His Word Facebook group to continue the conversation.

It’s personal. From where will your help come? Memorizing #Psalm121. #HideHisWord

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Pray, Plan, Print…Memorize Psalm 121

January 13, 2017 by Lisa Burgess 2 Comments

We’ve prayed and planned and printed.

A community of over 200 women and men have signed up and are ready to receive the truths of Psalm 121 beginning Monday, January 16.

It’s not too late if you want to join in. Get on our Psalm 121 email list now to be notified each week for the next six weeks about our verses, first letters, downloadable resources, and checklists.

None of us can do it on our own.

Our help will come from the Lord (Psalm 121:2).

Pray, plan, print…Memorize #Psalm121 beginning Monday. Join now! #HideHisWord

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3 Ways to Grow Your Faith When You Don’t Know What to Do

January 12, 2017 by Lisa Burgess 26 Comments

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
Romans 11:33-34

Google is my go-to source for quick answers.

When I want to know how old someone is, I google it.
When I want to see the menu at Local Taco, I google it.
When I’m looking for a TED talk on slow living, I google it.

But Google doesn’t know everything.

Google can never replace God.

So when Google doesn’t satisfy and God seems slow to answer, how do we handle our uncertainties?

This month we are focusing on renewing our minds through our attitudes in the new year (so far we’ve looked at optimism and gratitude through humility).

But what do we do when we have this attitude: “I NEED TO KNOW NOW!”?

The Insecurity of Uncertainty

When we don’t know whether to call the doctor or which job to take or even what to make for dinner, we can feel uncomfortable. Our brains don’t like gaps. We like to know. And when we don’t know, we can feel anxious or afraid.

Our insecurities can lead us to doubt God’s goodness. They can spur us to hoard today’s resources when we’re unsure of the arrival of tomorrow’s resources. They can paralyze us against timely decisions as we stall for more and clearer information.

And conversely, when we’re too proud of what we think we do know, we can become harsh and judgmental and legalistic (1 Corinthians 8:1 – “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”).

How to Accept Not Knowing

What can we do with our doubts? For 2017 we can resolve to do these three things to make peace with uncertainty.

1. Resolve to see grace in the gaps

Look back over your life. Were you given 100% complete information before you decided where to live or married your spouse or settled on a major? No.

But in the midst of our lack of knowledge, God has always been faithful. Even when we’ve made bad decisions.

If we turn our backs on His guidance, He still never turns His back on us. Through the consequences, He provides a path forward from any mess we create, if we’ll seek it.

Look for the grace He’s giving you in this moment. He has armfuls of new grace every morning to fill in all our gaps of uncertainty. Resolve to acknowledge His presence as your constant companion.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23

2. Resolve to be content with less information

Let’s face it. We’ll never know everything we want to know in this life. And that’s a good thing. Some things we don’t need to know. God sometimes spares us by not revealing the very things we ask to know.

Can we trust God in 2017 to keep us posted on what we need to know? Yes. When we are less greedy with having to know, we can settle into uncertainty as a protective place. God won’t keep us in the dark unnecessarily, so let’s not force His hand into showing us more than what’s helpful.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my [God] ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:9

3. Resolve to embrace mystery

Finally, let’s resolve to thank God for handling the enigmas in our lives. Can knowing that He knows be enough for us? While being in-the-know can initially seem comforting, we’re not wise enough or strong enough to handle the responsibility.

But God is. He has absolute power. He has infinite wisdom. And He has unending love to manage our lives in the best possible manner. Be grateful for that.

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.”
Psalm 139:6

Grow Your Faith

Do these resolutions mean we lock down our brains and stop trying to learn more? Of course not. God wants us to excel in everything, including knowledge (2 Corinthians 8:7). Wise people store up knowledge (Proverbs 10:14). Keep studying. Continue learning.

But our faith flourishes when we trust Him even without perfect knowledge. Making peace with uncertainty leaves room for God to work. And for us to move forward.

Even when our minds are questioning, our hands are shaking, and our mouths are mumbling, “I just don’t know,” we can place our security in God’s omniscience.

We don’t have to understand everything along our journey.

But we can understand enough to show up with God for the ride. That’s faith.

Not even Google can explain that.

When we just don’t know, then what? 3 Resolutions for Uncertainty. #RenewedMinds

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Do you like to know everything, too? What’s your comfort level with uncertainty? How do you make peace with what you don’t know? Let’s talk in the comments.

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Grateful Hearts Start with Humble Hearts

January 10, 2017 by Kelli LaFram 2 Comments

What is Gratitude?

Gratitude. Simply put, it is the state of being grateful — feeling or showing an appreciation for a benefit received. We can be grateful for all sorts of benefits, such as family, friends, home, health, career, car, and so on. But is there more?

We should absolutely be grateful for these things, because every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17). However, we should also recognize that there is more — much more — to be grateful for. And in order to be grateful for these other things I am alluding to, we need to come to a place of humility.

Grateful hearts start with humbled hearts.

And being truly humble comes from knowing who God is and who we are.

Who is God?

Let’s be honest. None of us know God perfectly — not yet anyway. We are sinful people living in a fallen world. And because our sanctification is not yet complete, we allow our sin to separate us from God. Even though God has fully revealed Himself to us (Hebrews 1:2-3), our sin keeps us from seeing and knowing Him clearly. That said, even a small glimpse of who God is can begin to lead us to humility. So, who is He? (NOTE: This is just a short list and the scripture references are not all inclusive. As a sinner, I could not possibly answer this question fully.)

God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. (Genesis 1:1-2:2, Colossians 1:16-17)
He is holy and just, setting the standard for right living. (Psalm 145:17, Romans 7:12)
He is merciful, gracious, and patient, yet does not let evil go unpunished. (Exodus 34:6-7)
He abounds in goodness and truth. (Exodus 34:6)
God’s loves perfectly, because He is love. (1 John 4:8)
He is our only Provider, Comforter, and Saviour. (Matthew 6:25-34, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Psalm 68:19)
He alone is wise. (Jude 1:25)
He is the One true God. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 44:6, Jeremiah 10:10, 1 Corinthians 8:6)

Who is Man?

Let’s be honest again. We know who we are. Apart from God, we are each a mess. No matter how hard we try to fool ourselves or others, we know that we are far from perfect. We may arrogantly try to fix our flaws and make ourselves right with God, but we just can’t. Here is a short list of who we actually are.

We are created, not the Creator. (Genesis 1:26-27)
We come from dust. (Genesis 3:19)
We frequently do what is right in our own eyes instead of consulting with God and accepting His holy standards. (Proverbs 21:2)
Apart from Christ, we prefer the darkness over light — because in the light our sin is exposed. (John 3:19)
We are liars and haters and lawbreakers. (1 Timothy 1:8-10)
We are self-serving and our hearts are deceitfully wicked. (Proverbs 28:26, Jeremiah, 17:9, 2 Timothy 3:2-5)
We are in need of a Saviour. (Romans 3:23, 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9)

And yet…

And yet, despite how radically opposite we are from God — He is holy, we are anything but… Despite how sinful we are… Despite the death that we deserve — death that would separate us from His love for all eternity… Despite how much God hates sin…

He loves us.

We don’t deserve Him.

He has every right to turn His back on us. To forget us. To destroy us. To grind us back into dust.

But He doesn’t.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. (Psalm 145:8-9)

Instead of giving us exactly what we deserve He gives us the reward that only Jesus deserves. When we put our faith in the work of cross ALONE:

He blesses us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)
He makes us holy and blameless in His sight (Ephesians 1:4)
He adopts us into His family (Ephesians 1:5)
He redeems us through the blood of His Son and forgives us of our sins (Ephesians 1:7)
He lavishes us in His grace (Ephesians 1:7-8)
He will one day call us home to be fully one with Christ (Ephesians 1:10)
He also seals and protects us with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)

God is holy. We are desperately wicked. Yet He loves us and lavishes good gifts on us anyway. I encourage you to look up the passages referenced in this post, especially the ones in Ephesians. As you read them ask God to soften your heart and make you more humble than ever before. Then, as you become more aware of how low you are and how high He is, respond to His grace and compassion with a grateful heart.

Only by grace,

Kelli

Grateful hearts start with humbled hearts. @kellilafram

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His tender mercies are over all His works. Psalm 145:9

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