Grace! Grace!

Psalm 119:55(MSG)
I meditate on your name all night, God, treasuring your revelation, O God.

Rest in His grace.

Grace!  Grace!  Amazing grace....truly how sweet the sound.  On the heals of the music post from yesterday, these words are drawing me into the old treasured hymn, Amazing Grace.  The word, grace, is on my mind today, as I am reading the new book by Max Lucado entitled:  GRACE.  (A book review  will be coming soon.  I have to finish the book first, of course.)

Reading this verse today and meditating on all that is embodied in the mighty name of God, I am humbled to be called a child of the King!  He is so great that admittedly there are times when I feel extremely unworthy to call upon Him in my smallness and continued failings.  But, then, I am drawn back to that five letter word, G-R-A-C-E.  

I have heard this word described many ways throughout the years, but reading Max's words yesterday, encompassed everything that I believe the word grace means!  If you are struggling today with your humanness and perhaps being too hard on yourself...then pause a minute and meditate on the name of Jesus.  Or maybe you are thinking that if you could just get everything in your life straightened out and polished up, then you would make a decision to come to Christ....in your best Sunday clothes...all perfectly put together.  Guess what?  You don't need to do that.  You just need to come to Him...like you are...right now.  Still don't believe me?  Read the following passage from Max's book about Grace.  Let his words sink deeply in and bathe you in the loving arms of Christ.

Max Lucado from his book titled: GRACE, writes, "Grace is God as heart surgeon, cracking open your chest, removing your heart--poisoned as it is with pride and pain--and replacing it with his own.  Rather than tell you to change, he creates the change.  Do you clean up so he can accept you?  No, he accepts you and begins cleaning you up.  His dream isn't just to get you into heaven but to get heaven into you.  What a difference this makes!"  (Italics my own.)

Lord,
You are a God with infinite knowledge and wisdom!  We praise Your holy name today and thank you for your amazing grace.  May it wash completely over each of us as we approach Your throne of forgiveness.
In Your precious Son's name,
Amen





 

Singing His Words

Psalm 119:54
I set your instructions to music and sing them as I walk this pilgrim way.

Ahh...the healing power of His Word set to music!  Humming His directions gives incredible strength and builds our faith to a whole new level!  Clear direct advice for us right here in black and white. 

Conversely, there is much to be lost in our closeness with the Savior when we listen to music that is saturated with dark discouraging lyrics.  Why?  Because those despair riddled words will immediately flood our minds when we are in challenging circumstances.  Those careless ideas of hopelessness and isolation, that are unfortunately quite prevalent in our society today, have the end result of submerging the listener into a sinking pit of emptiness.  Don't allow it in!  Guard against it.

God's word is like fresh water.  Without it we cannot survive.

This is a beautiful verse of instruction for our children as well.  If you are raising children, I challenge you to go through their play lists and make certain that what they are hearing is lifting them up and building a God confidence rather than a self consciousness.  During an especially challenging time in one of my children's lives, I purchased a CD at our local Christian store that set to music specific scripture that applied to the situation.  The incredible comfort gained from the simple exercise of playing the CD in the background essentially every time we were home or in the car, was immeasurable!  We were also able to memorize the verses, allowing His direction to play continually in our minds even when the music was not available!  It was life changing for us!

While writing this post today, I decided to look for scripture set to music on the Internet.  I found a beautiful blog created by a family who has applied today's scripture and made it a way of life.  If you are interested in hearing just one of their creations, click here and enjoy!  Their blog provides a large volume of scripture put to music and they have even included sheet music for free!  The URL is:  www.scripturemelodies.blogspot.com. 

Lord,
Thank You once again for Your words that guide and direct us in very simple and concise ways.  May Your strength rise up anew within us this week as we choose a leader for our country.  May Your perfect will be done.
In Christ's Name,
Amen

 

Rotten Bananas

Psalm 119:53(MSG)
But when I see the wicked ignore Your directions, I'm beside myself with anger.

As I hurried out the door to whisk my daughter off to school, I grabbed my car keys in one hand and the coffee mug in the other.  Savoring the last few swallows of the steamy hot liquid, I strategically planned the next eight hours.  It would be one of those days with several commitments and not much lag time in between.  I know you can relate! 

As I left the kitchen, I could smell the lingering scent of ripe bananas from the few last lonely pieces of fruit that remained hanging from their metal tree on the counter.  At our house, it is a rare thing to find leftover bananas. We usually devour them before they have a chance to even hint at going bad.  They make excellent quick snacks for on the go.

Arriving at my daughter's school, where I have the privilege of volunteering on a regular basis, I set my purse down and headed off to tackle the various activities for the day.  Several hours later, when I returned to the office, I scooped up my purse and began the drive back home.  Throwing my satchel on the front seat next to me, I reviewed the plan in my mind for the night.  The two remaining events left on my plate, consisted of one more taxi trip across town for my daughter's swim practice, and a beautiful celebration banquet for the school, being held at a convention center.  Did I just smell bananas?   

It isn't often that I get to dress up, so tonight's event would be a real treat!  Most of my daily responsibilities do not require a formal dress code.  For example, laundry, playing taxi for kids, buying groceries, cooking meals, getting the dogs to the vet for their latest shots or to the groomer for a complete deskunking, does not warrant formal attire, right?  All that to say, when I have the opportunity to play "dress-up" and go out in something other than flip-flops and jeans, I get a little excited.  As the anticipation mounted for a fun filled evening, my mind was suddenly drawn back to the sweet smell of bananas.  Oh, I did miss my lunch today!  Perhaps a banana would taste yummy right about now. 

Arriving home, I snatched up one of the last bananas and dashed into the closet for a quick transformation into my "fancy clothes".  Glancing one more time in the mirror as I ran back out the door with my car keys and purse flung over my shoulder headed to chauffeur my daughter to practice, I smelled those delicious bananas once again.  I must be on a real fruit kick, I thought to myself, the smell of bananas just won't leave me!

I arrived safely at the swim practice and took my spot on the bleachers, so I could enjoy watching all of the talented athletes.  Perching on the narrow metal slates with a dress on was no small task, I might add!  After checking my watch for the fourth time, I decided it was about time to head out on my dinner date.  I reached in my purse to snatch the car keys, and upon retrieval of them, I noticed they were wet.  That seemed odd.  What could be in my purse that would have spilled?  Dismissively, I hurried out to the parking lot, confidently clicking my heels and feeling quite dignified.  In a few minutes I would finally be at the much anticipated main event of the day.  Sliding in the front seat, I turned on the car.  The air conditioner blew a cool banana breeze on my face.  Huh?

I arrived right on time.  Perfect!  It was going to be a fantastic night!  I turned off the car and reached for my purse.  I opened it to place the keys securely in and found myself overwhelmed with the smell of bananas again.  Wow, I must really be craving bananas, I thought.  Dropping the keys in, I reached inside to retrieve my nose powder for one last swipe, and my hand came out wet and sticky!  What in the world?!

I opened the purse wide and held it up to the light so I could peer deep inside.  As I carefully began digging and moving some items aside, I found the source.  There it was.... lying innocently at the bottom of my purse.....smeared in every corner and crevice available..... a rotten banana!!  Yes, my confident air of sophistication went right out the window!

Now, I know you are probably wondering what in the world a rotten banana could have to do with today's scripture.

Here's what I'm thinking.  Just like the forgotten banana in my purse sat there in the dark and changed into a rotten mess, a heart can change into a wicked snarl of confusion and rotten behavior when a child of God ignores His direction for their life.  The stench of our actions will follow us wherever we go.  We may not recognize the source right away (like the disintegrating banana in my purse), but it won't take long for the ugly scent of a disobedient heart to permeate every corner of our lives. 

Lord,
Thank you for bringing our need for a Savior to our most immediate attention through the words of this verse.  May our hearts and minds be open to hear and respond to Your Word of direction in every area of our lives today. 
In Christ's Name,
Amen

 

Book Review: The Voice Bible by Ecclesia Bible Society

The Voice Bible is a wonderfully descriptive work to add to your Bible translation library. 

It is a plethora of succinctly and beautifully written verses with the addition of historical narration which delivers a dramatic flair making it an unparalleled version of the Holy Bible.

The Voice Bible, by Ecclesia Bible Society is a beautifully written translation of the Holy Bible.  This work, beginning as a vision by Chris Seay, pastor of Houston’s Ecclesia Church, and ending with the publication by Thomas Nelson, takes on the arduous task of compiling ancient Greek and Hebrew writing and transforming it into modern American English.  The final presentation is a Bible translation that reads very much like a screenplay.  The result is an interesting and extremely engaging experience that draws the reader to the Word of God and therefore into relationship with the King.

I am especially impressed with both of the introductions into the Old and New Testaments.  The description of the “Four Covenants”, given prior to embarking on the New Testament reading, presents a very clear and accurate foundational teaching of the covenant relationship between us and our Lord.  The format utilized throughout the work, is one of various conversations between each of the characters.  Frequently interjected into the story is “the voice” which I would describe as a narrator.  These sections are not part of scripture, but serve to describe the culture of the day and play a vital role in assisting the reader’s depth of comprehension.

The Voice Bible translation is a collaborate effort from a team of translators who worked alongside poets, writers and musicians.  I found it to be refreshing and interactive.  I would highly recommend reading this translation and acquiring a “hard copy” to place in your library for easy access!

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson Publishing Company for this review copy of The Voice Bible that I received through BookSneeze.  The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

 

  

 

  

Ancient Landmark Words

Psalm 119:52 (MSG)
I watch for Your ancient landmark words, and know I'm on the right track.

I was sleeping so soundly, that when the first loud clap of thunder roared, it about sent me flying out of the bed! I sat straight up, eyes darting to and fro around the room in an effort to reorient myself.  After realizing it was a storm, I nestled back down under the covers and went back  to sleep, confidently relying on our storm sirens to activate if there was a need to seek shelter in the basement. 

When I awoke in the morning, I found my daughter curled up on the couch beside our bed.  I asked her why she had come in our room, and she told me that the storm had scared her.  She said that she had been asleep when the loud thunder woke her.  She became frightened and went into her closet with her Bible.  She opened it to Isaiah where she read His "ancient landmark words", that told her God is her rock and her shelter.  She read that He is always with her and that she doesn't need to be afraid.  She said those words comforted her and helped her tremendously!  She came into our room and quickly fell back asleep, knowing that God is in control of her life and He is right by her side. 

What a blessing to me, as a Mom, to witness my daughter in an active relationship with a mighty and Holy God who loves her and cares so deeply for all that she is going through!  Quite frankly, I can't think of anything more rewarding than that. 

Most Holy God,
Thank you for Your words that are always true and provide us with such comfort in the literal and figurative storms of each of our lives.  We are so blessed to be called Your children. 
Amen