God’s Purpose for You

Yesterday, I mentioned God’s amazing grace. God shows us prevenient grace, meaning before we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But why does God show us grace? Does he have a purpose for us? Are we willing to accept his purpose for our lives?

Accepting God’s grace does not come with conditions. Yet, it does come with expectations. We can accept God’s grace without seeking God’s purpose for our life. Yet, God has shown us grace so that we will go about the work he has for us.

We may think this makes God’s grace a transactional relationship, but it does not. No, we still have a choice. We can accept his grace without taking on the work he has for us. However, if we choose to go that route, we will not live the abundant life Jesus promised. It is by partnering with God in love and through his grace that we learn what it means to truly live.

It is by God’s grace that we are who we are. He has used many different situations, some he purposely set up and some of our own choosing that he uses anyway for our good. When we understand God is working in our lives, it changes how we see ourselves and others. We begin to realize there is something bigger at work and we are not the center of all things.

As our eyes are opened, we see the good works God has created for us to do. The most important of those is to love him and the second is to love others. We can show our love by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, and being kind to everyone we meet. As we accept God’s grace and allow him to change us, we exhibit the fruits of the Spirit as defined in Galatians 5:22-23.

I pray we all accept God’s grace. I pray we commit ourselves to the good works God has prepared for us. I pray each one of us will exhibit the fruits of the Spirit. Accept God’s grace. Commit to God’s good works. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in you. Exhibit the fruits of the Spirit. Live the abundant life.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Saved By Grace

Do you understand what grace is? Have you been shown grace? Have you shown grace to someone else? Grace is a word that gets thrown around a lot in religious circles. But we may not fully understand it. We may state it is unmerited favor, and we would be correct. But do we really understand it?

We get a glimpse of it with some of our bills. Some loans will allow us to be late by a few days without penalty. Some insurance companies will allow us to be late in paying our premium without canceling your policy. These are small examples and are for a limited amount of time.

God’s grace is far more than any of those. The expiration date is Jesus’ return, not the length of our lives. His grace does not postpone our payment but cancels it. His grace does not cover only one facet of our life but every facet. It is only by his grace that we can be saved, that we have the opportunity of eternal life with him.

We may argue that we need to choose to be saved. That is true. Yet, our opportunity to make that choice is only by his grace. This is part of what John Wesley called prevenient grace—God’s grace working in us before we accept Jesus as our Savior. Through God’s grace we are given a choice. Prevenient grace also includes God putting people in our lives to tell us about Jesus.

But God’s grace is far greater than that. In his grace we live and breathe. By his grace we are given talents, skills, and abilities. Because of his grace our sins are forgiven. Not just a few but all of them. We can do nothing to earn his grace. It is given to us freely. God’s grace covers us because of his love for us. We cannot boast about being saved for we have done nothing to earn it. It is not of our doing but God’s grace.

I pray we all come to know God’s grace. I pray we understand it is far greater than we give it credit. I pray each one of us will accept God’s grace and spread his grace to others. Know God’s grace is big. Give God the credit due him. Do not boast in being saved. Tell others about God’s grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

Life and Death

What does it mean to be alive? What is death? Asking those questions from a human perspective may receive a few different answers, but it is likely they would all be of the same nature. But what if we asked the same two questions from a spiritual perspective?

We generally associate life with breathing, hearts beating, and a variety of bodily functions. The average person will include walking/running, the ability to think and learn, sight, hearing, and we might include having a family. In other words, what we do or can do.

Death, on the other hand, will be described as a lack of life. There may be a variety of ways we get the point across, but they all point back to the simple answer. In death, the body has stopped breathing, the heart has stopped beating, and the body has become rigid.

But that is not the life and death we should spend much time worrying about. Our spiritual life and death is far, far more important. As the Apostle Paul tells the church in Ephesus, we all were once dead in our sin. In some ways, many of us continue to keep one foot in that deadness. We continue to willfully sin. But the good news is, we can be forgiven.

We have life through the power of the cross and our belief in Jesus Christ. When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we are given freedom along with the Holy Spirit. We can go before a Holy God, ask for forgiveness, and be confident he forgives because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. We have the hope of eternal life because Jesus rose from the grave. Therefore, though we would be dead because of our sins, we instead have life because of the love of God as demonstrated in the actions and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

I pray we all know we would be dead without Jesus. I pray we know we have life because of Jesus. I pray each one of us will hold on to the hope and eternal life given to us by Jesus. Step out of your dead body. Step into the life of the Holy Spirit. Give thanks to God. Know Jesus has saved you from eternal death and granted you eternal life.

Ephesians 2:1-2 You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient.

Medical Symbol of God

Do you like to go to the doctor? Have you noticed the symbol used by the medical facility you go to? Have you looked at the insignia a doctor or nurse may have on their lapel? Have you noticed the symbol on a prescription pad or on the label of your medicine?

Whether we have noticed it or not, there are two universal medical symbols. One is called the Rod of Asclepius and the other is called the Caduceus. They are very similar but different. Each has its own history and the choice of which is used is left up to the organization.

The Caduceus is used by 37% of professional medical organizations and 76% of commercial medical companies. The Caduceus is based on the Greek mythology that it was the staff that Mercury used. As the myth goes, there were two snakes fighting and Mercury through his staff at them to stop them. The two snakes entwined themselves around this staff.

The Rod of Asclepius, which is used by 62% of professional medical organizations, dates back to 1400 B.C. It is a staff with a single snake entwined around it. It is based on the story of Moses who made a bronze snake wrapped around a pole which the Israelites could look at and not die after being bitten by a snake. Because they had complained against God and Moses, God had sent poisonous snakes into their camp and thousands died.

Is the symbol used by your healthcare provide important? Maybe, maybe not. But it may have been chosen specifically based on the tradition in which it came from. If the medical organization is faith based, it likely uses the Rod of Asclepius with a single snake wrapped around a staff. It may have been chosen specifically to remind us of the story of Moses. Knowing the origin of symbols can remind us of God, no matter where we are. His signs are all around us if we educate ourselves and pay attention.

I pray we all educate ourselves. I pray we see the signs of God all around us. I pray each one of us pay attention to symbology used by organizations and remember God is still active in our lives. Educate yourself. See the signs of God around you. Pay attention. Know that God is active in our world.

Numbers 21:9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

Fussy Children

Have you ever been in car full of impatient people? Have you had your children ask, “How long until we get there?” Have you had them complain they are hungry? Have you tried to feed them snacks and they don’t want them? Have you done the same thing to God?

Being in a vehicle full of impatient children can try our patience. Small children don’t like to be buckled into a car seat for long periods of time. They are bundles of energy that want to be moving. So, being made to be stationary for more than a few minutes is torture for them.

As we grow older, constant movement isn’t necessarily our cup of tea. Yet, most are constantly doing something, even if it doesn’t require a lot of movement. We may work at a desk but are constantly busy. We may like to play video games on our computer, phone, or the television. We may simply enjoy reading a good book.

As we go through this journey called life, we experience times when things aren’t as we expect or as we like. As followers of Jesus, we pray. We ask for things to change. We ask for guidance. We may even cry out to God, begging for mercy, crying crocodile tears. But are we willing to wait for God’s timing?

We know that God keeps his promises. We know that he loves every one of us. We know he desires what is best for us. If we know all that, will we continue to thank him and sing his praises when things don’t go our way? There is nothing wrong with asking God to fix things so long as we also praise him for the blessings he has already given us. Rather than just being the child who only wants to get out the vehicle, we should give thanks to God for the ride.

I pray we all choose to give God thanks for his blessings. I pray we ask him to intervene on our behalf. I pray each one of us choose to enjoy the ride rather than complaining about what we don’t have. Thank God. Sing his praises. Ask for his blessings. Ask for his guidance. Enjoy the life God has given you.

Numbers 21:4-5 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.”

Weakness and Wisdom

Weakness and Wisdom

How wise do we think we are? Do we look at the foolishness going on in our world and think we are far wiser? Do we submit to the wisdom of God? Have we considered that God’s foolishness is wiser than our human wisdom?

The typical path to wisdom progresses through experiences. As we experience various situations, make mistakes, or navigate them successfully, we learn and grow in wisdom. Yet none of us can experience everything and grow to the wisdom of God.

Each one of us should be able to confidently say we are far wiser in our fifties than we were in our twenties. During those thirty years we experienced more situations than we can count. Yet our brains have cataloged those experiences and what we learned going through them. If we utilize that learning to become wiser, we won’t make the same mistakes again.

Unfortunately, we often do not read and learn from history. We see the same mistakes being made throughout history. Oh, we learn some from history, but too often we think we can go through the same situation and produce a different outcome while tackling the problem in the same way.

We are told that God’s foolishness is far wiser than our wisdom. This statement is addressing what humans may think is the foolishness of the cross. Yet in God’s wisdom we are granted salvation, giving us eternal life with him. Without God’s wisdom (or foolishness of the cross), we would not have hope and salvation.

I pray we all submit to the wisdom of God. I pray we choose to seek God in all our decisions. I pray each one of us will give up our strength in order to accept the weakness of God. Submit to God’s wisdom. Seek God for all decisions. Accept God’s salvation. Put your hope in him.

1 Corinthians 1:25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Foolishness and Power

Have you witnessed foolishness? Have you thought something was foolish only to realize later it was not foolish but very wise? Have you been accused of being foolish, yet know that you were making a wise choice? Have you accepted the foolishness of God?

It seems as though we can observe foolishness almost anywhere we look. We see foolishness on the streets, in the department store, in the grocery store, and even in our workplaces. Sometimes the foolishness is on purpose and funny. Other times it is not.

By human notions, God has done a lot of foolish things. Think about. What human would have ever created a giraffe or the platypus? Though we have some creativity, thanks to God’s gift, we just don’t think of such things. Who would have created gnats or flies or mosquitos? We would not have done so for no other reason than not wanting the nuisance. Yet all of them have purpose in God’s plan.

God’s foolishness also included sending Jesus to the cross to be our Savior. We would not put ourselves on a cross to save the world. We might be willing to die for our children or spouse, but not the drug addict, the prostitute, or our enemy. Yet God went to the cross in the form of Jesus, even though we are disobedient children.

Through the cross, God displayed his mighty power. The power to overcome death. The power to completely defeat Satan. The power to bring his straying children back home with him. God displayed a power that we cannot fully fathom. Through his power God has reconciled us to him with a price we can never repay. Thank God for his wonderful grace.

I pray we all accept the foolishness of the cross. I pray we recognize the power of God. I pray each one of us give thanks to God for his awesome power and his wonderful grace. Accept the gift of the cross. Be reconciled to God. Recognize God’s mighty power. Thank God for his amazing grace.

1 Corinthians 1:18For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

God’s Temple

How well do you pick up the meaning of analogies, metaphors, riddles, proverbs, or parables? If an analogy is used to get a point across, does it help you to understand? Are there some analogies that are easier for you to understand than others?

Whether we think about it or not, we use analogies quite often. He is faster than a racehorse. She is more beautiful than a rose. A person put in a bad situation can be like a wild animal backed into a corner. A mother protects her children like a hen protecting her chicks.

We also use proverbs quite often. A stitch in time saves nine. Even a rose has its thorns. A penny saved is a penny earned. Actions speak louder than words. All that glitters is not gold. A picture is worth a thousand words. All good things come to an end. Beggars can’t be choosers. Never judge a book by its cover. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again. You reap what you sow. The early bird catches the worm. The more, the merrier. You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.

Jesus used these types of sayings in His teachings. Some of them were culturally significant, meaning they made sense to the first century Jews, but may be difficult for us to understand. Some of them we understand more easily. We can understand all of them if we are willing to do a little research and study God’s Word.

Some of the sayings Jesus used had prophetic meaning and were not easily understood. When Jesus was standing in the Temple grounds, He spoke of the temple being destroyed and raising it up in three days. Those around Him thought He was speaking of the building, but He was speaking about Himself.

Give this analogy a moment’s thought. If Jesus’ body was equated to the temple, shouldn’t we consider our bodies a temple? After all, the same Holy Spirit that alighted on Jesus at His baptism is the same Holy Spirit God gives us. Since God is living inside us, just as he lived in the tent of meeting as the Israelites were travelling from Egypt to the promise land, doesn’t that make us a temple? We would do well to consider ourselves a temple of God. It can be a life altering attitude.

I pray we all seek to understand the parables Jesus spoke. I pray we spend time researching them and reading our Bibles. I pray each one of us will think of ourselves as temples of God. Seek to understand Jesus’ parables. Read God’s Word. Think of yourself as a temple. Treat your body as God’s temple.

John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Attitude of Jesus

What makes you angry? Is your anger based on selfish reasons? Do you get angry when things do not go your way? Do you get angry when you feel someone has wronged a loved one? Is your anger based on God’s Word? Do you get upset when you see people disobeying?

Often anger is based on things not going the way we think they should. This is especially true as children. If a child does not get their way, they get angry. Those reasons for getting angry may carry over into adulthood. In fact, some people will never mature out of it.

As we experience the world, we learn that it is not always wise to get angry. We learn that it isn’t worth the negative impacts anger has on our health to be upset about every little thing that does not go our way. We slough off the little things, letting them go. But anger can be the genesis of grudges. Holding grudges also harms our mental well-being and holds us prisoner.

Jesus got angry. But His anger was not based on selfish reasons. His anger was a righteous anger aimed at those who turned the Temple into a marketplace. Though God required sacrifices prior to Jesus coming to earth, he did not intend for animals to be sold on the temple grounds for those sacrifices. The Temple was to be a place of worship, not a place of business.

Anger is an emotion we all must deal with. Yet, we can learn from Jesus. He set His priorities on the things of God. It was only when God’s commands were disobeyed that He got angry. He knew that anything else was temporary and had no lasting effect. He knew that God’s commands and desires for our life were the only things that had an eternal impact.

Our mental health can be much improved if we set our priorities the same as God. When we realize the things of this earth will not last but only the things of God, we can be far less affected by them. When God becomes our top priority, earthly things do not negatively impact us in the same way, thereby improving our mental health. This is spiritual health having a positive impact on our mental health.

I pray we all seek to have the attitude of Jesus. I pray we make God’s priorities our priorities. I pray each one of us will realize earthly things will go by the wayside and heavenly things will last forever. Make God’s priorities your priorities. Have the attitude of Jesus. Improve your mental health. Improve your spiritual health.

John 2:16  He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”

See God’s Glory

Have you witnessed God’s glory recently? Have you seen the beauty in the rising of the sun? Have you taken sat to watch the squirrels chase one another around a tree? Have you experienced God working in your life? When will you slow down to recognize God’s creation?

Our culture has become one of busyness. We are constantly on the go. If we are not on the go, we are watching television and on our cell phones. We rarely take time to simply observe the wonderful creation of God and see the gloriousness of his character and imagination.

Seriously, take time this week, even for just a few minutes, to step outside to observe the birds. If there is little or no wildlife near your home, go to a park for a few minutes. Don’t do anything. Just sit and watch. Quiet your mind. Leave your cell at home or in your pocket. Say a short prayer, asking God to reveal himself to you. Then relax and observe.

When we think of God’s glory, we often think of a majestic throne and God shining brighter than the sun. Yet, we can see his glory in his creation. Soon, there will be new life springing forth as the weather warms up. The trees will bud. Flowers will bloom. The grass will turn green again. All of it because God created their lifecycle. He set these things in motion to remind us of who he is.

God is everywhere. His creation is all around us. Even if we work in an office all day, there are likely plants in the office. But if there aren’t, we step outside to walk to our vehicles. We drive from our home to our workplace. We have opportunities every day to see the glory of God. We simply need to teach ourselves to see it.

I pray we all open our eyes and see the glory of God. I pray we observe God’s creation. I pray each one of us pause our busy lifestyle to spend some quiet time to notice God’s glory all around us. See God’s glory. Observe God’s creation. Set aside some quiet time. Ask God to reveal himself.

Psalm 19:1

The heavens are telling the glory of God; 

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.