Grace

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.               1 Thess. 5.28

Paul ends his letter with this prayer. These are words that we may be familiar with. Indeed we may well be over familiar with them to the extent that we gloss over them, take them for granted, or even ignore them completely.

I see these words as a prayer to God, a most powerful prayer. Paul is entreating God to grant the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to us. God has made it clear how relevant, indeed vital, this grace is to us. Through Paul, He reminds us: My grace is sufficient for you (2 Cor. 12.9). We need nothing else other than God’s grace. It is wonderful and amazing. It fulfils everything for us.

Jesus knew this grace. As I reflect upon His life here on earth, I see the thread of grace run consistently through it. Often my thoughts of Him focus on the time from His agony in the garden at Gethsemane to the final release at Calvary. Grace is certainly in evidence here. I see it clearly when He was able to say, and mean: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22.42). Behind these words, and the inner turmoil in the garden, I see the grace of God at work, a grace that strengthened and enabled Him for the final work.

But there is so much to His life up to this point. And I would be remiss to ignore it or skate over it. God’s grace pervaded the life of His Son here on this earth. God, in grace, gave the Holy Spirit to lead and strengthen the man Jesus. By grace He fulfilled His God-appointed purpose. I can do likewise. That grace is extended to me – in full sufficiency!

Holy Father,

I see the relevance and great import of this prayer, wishing grace to be with me. I open myself to receive Your grace in fullest measure. Lead me in grace, and in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Fulfil Your purpose in me.                                                                       Amen.

Disinterested

The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.               Matt. 22.6

Jesus is speaking about the kingdom of heaven. The king has prepared a wedding feast but none of the invited guests are interested in attending. They are distracted by a host of petty diversions. And the persistence of the king’s servants is too much for them. They retaliate with brutality and slaughter.

Sadly, I see this happen in the world today. Christ’s message of salvation is an invitation to the great wedding feast of the King of all kings. The invitation is extended in the hope of immediate acceptance – in the here and now. But too many are distracted and disinterested. The things of this present world consume their attention and energy, and the glorious hope of eternity to come is dismissed.

I grieve to acknowledge, only too clearly, that the King’s servants are being mistreated and killed in many parts of the world today, too many parts. How this must disappoint the King. But more, it denies entry to so many to the glorious feast in the hereafter.

Lord God, Holy King.

I cry out for the lost of this world. I bring before You all those who are caught up in the things of this material life. I plead for their salvation. Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry come to You. Answer it, please, with a sovereign move of Your Holy Spirit across the entire globe.

I pray for the true meaning of Christmas to touch people’s hearts. Protect Your servants, Lord, each one of them. Let them speak lovingly and clearly of that greatest gift of all. The most wonderful Christmas gift to You would be a soul turned to You in repentance, faith and belief. I pray for this in my own family and I pray for it in the worldwide family of all races. And I ask for this, in Jesus’ Name.                                                                                  Amen.

The Truth

“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”                    Mark 10.15

These are the words of Jesus and He begins as He often does by saying, “I tell you the truth.” I take this to mean, “This is the way it is. This is the way it must be. There is no other way.”

He proceeds to state that entry into the kingdom of God is conditional upon us receiving it as a little child would. What does He mean by this? A simple examination of a young child’s behaviour gives much insight.

Firstly, a child is open and receptive. Often they know exactly what they want and do not hesitate to ask for it. It’s almost as if they say, “I want, therefore I must have!” This might appear selfish, yet it is not so. There’s an innocence and guilelessness about it. Rather it’s as if they’re saying, “I’d like this. I feel that I need it, so why shouldn’t I have it?”

In its demands and expectations the child may not consider itself to be helpless, even though it truly is! But I think it clearly sees the ability of the provider to ‘come up with the goods’. In the human sphere the child might often expect more than the donor is able to provide. This is absolutely not the case with our heavenly Father. Let us then expect the fullness of His abundant provision as we come before him in childlike trust.

What the child receives is truly a gift, although I’m not sure that this registers with the little one. They may not rationalise that they cannot gain what they’re asking for by their own endeavour. This realisation comes to the thoughtful adult. I will never gain the kingdom of God by my own efforts. It, like much other – if not all – provision, comes to me through the grace of God. And how extensive His grace is! Let me know I am helpless, without claim or merit, and let me approach the throne of grace with this same demeanour. I am nothing. He is everything. I have nought. He has all I need, and His desire is to bless me. Here again the parallel with the small child comes into focus. The provider for the little one delights to give pleasure, surprising with undeserved gifts. God is likewise with us.

And the child’s reaction is one of uncontained joy. The expression of delight from a child on receiving is totally uninhibited. It is spontaneous, infectious, and wonderfully uplifting.

Can I approach the throne of grace with the attitude of a little child – helpless and undeserving, yet conscious of the amazing ability of my Lord God to provide, and expectant that He will? Can I come in this manner? If I feel I can’t, then I need to change with the utmost haste, for my Lord and Saviour tells me, plainly and clearly, that without this childlike approach I will receive nothing.

Holy Jesus,

I thank You for this reminder, for it goes to the core of my being and shakes me. I have difficulty in expecting that You will provide abundantly for me. This may well be a form of pride. I bring it before you in humble confession. I repent and ask You to free me from all that hinders and entangles. I want to come to You fully as a little child. I yearn to delight You as the little children did when You walked this earth. Hear my prayer. Help me, Lord.

I want to look to You for all things. Right now I commit to fix my eyes on you. Help me, please, to look only to You. You are my strength and my shield. You are my hope in all things. You are my complete provider.

I salute You. I desire to honour You with my whole trust. Lead me further and further into trusting You until I reach that place where You are the only one I see, You are the only one I look to.

I come to You as a child. Keep me childlike. Order my steps into full obedience. Lead me into deeper and growing relationship.

See my joy in knowing that I am a child of God. May I always delight in You and let that delight overflow from me into every situation.

I join with You. Let us journey this day together. Hallelujah! I praise Your Name.        Amen.

One Father

And do not call anyone on earth ‘father’, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.      

 Matt. 23.9

These words amaze me because for me they are absolutely true.

I have known no earthly father. There was a time when this was loss to me, a great loss. But that time is long since. When, in later life, I joined in new relationship with my heavenly Father, I knew this was my true Father. I rejoice in the sweetness of that relationship which has been so from the first, yet gets deeper and sweeter with each passing day. I am able to rejoice also that there is no earthly father, no inferior example to cloud or confuse me. I have been blessed with a unique father-son relationship. I thank my Father today and I will continue to thank Him for the most wonderful relationship He has drawn me into. 

My Dear, Dear Father,

I thank You, truly, for sparing me the imperfections of an earthly father. Yet I bow low before You in the realisation that it was Your plan – since before time began – to bless me with the perfect Father. I am almost speechless. You have taken my breath away, after all this time, after those early, seemingly endless years of deprivation and longing for a dad. Through the hate and anger towards the human who should have been there for me. Then came the years of healing and release, and the joy of meeting You. I am growing, still growing, in relationship with You and the marvel of knowing a true Father – absolutely the best Dad of all.

Sweet Daddy, I feel today as if something has been brought to completion. Your Word promises wonderfully that the good work You begin You will carry to completion. A stage has been reached, and I now release myself further and fully into my relationship with You as a much loved and favoured child of the most wonderful Father.

Holy Dad, receive my thanks, my appreciation, my love – and me. Hallelujah!             Amen.

Such faith

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.                      Matt. 8.13

The Centurion exercised a remarkable faith. Indeed, Jesus Himself remarked, “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” What an amazing statement.

Was it the Centurion’s faith that guaranteed the healing of his servant? I don’t think I can subscribe to thinking of believers wholly having the power, through faith, to bring things to pass. But I do believe faith on our part might move God to act.

Yes, I sense a tension between my faith and God’s response. I must believe. Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” I must believe, and I must pray believing.

I am also aware of the truth in Hebrews: These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. (Heb. 11.39) The great men and women of faith enjoined to us by the writer to the Hebrews lived in faith and died believing. And in many cases God’s promises to them came to fruition after their days.

Yes, I’m getting the picture. I walk in faith, and I expect to see what I pray for made manifest, but the actual realisation is with God.

Lord God,

I have faith, and I thank You for it. I also ask for more. Unashamedly I ask You for more faith, and I remind You, and claim, Your promise to me that if I ask, I will receive.

Lord, grant me a faith comparable to that of the men and women of great faith down through the ages. I want to see signs and wonders and miracles as I minister with You. In faith I ask for these things and I ask believing, in Jesus’ Name.                                                       Amen.