I Peter 1:3 says: "In his great mercy he has given us new birth..."
It seems as though the longer I have been a believer, the less I feel the need for his mercy. I mean, let's face it, I've learned sin management techniques. I avoid the situations which tempt me to sin. My dependence upon mercy is reduced as I seek to live a righteous life. And yet, that is a significant part of his mercy. As "righteous" as I may at times feel - I am always in need of his mercy. I think it could be argued that I may be more in need of his mercy the more righteous I feel.
When I begin to believe the lie of my own righteousness (of course I was made righteous by faith in Christ - but somehow begin to feel that after his initial work was done it is up to me to maintain that righteousness) I think that I become like Buzz Lightyear int he movie Toy Story. When Woody seeks to convince him (Buzz) that he is just a toy, Buzz responds "You are a strange little man, and you have my pity." Yet is was Buzz who had it wrong. (A fact he discovers later in the movie.)
God is perhaps most merciful towards me when I get a little full of myself! SMJ
Reading some Psalms makes me thankful for where we live and the incredible provision God has made for us. Psalm 88 is one of those Psalms. "I cry out before you...my soul if full of trouble...I am set apart with the dead...my eyes are dim with grief..." And it goes on, finally ending with "the darkness is my closest friend." No real resolution in this Psalm. Just crying out to God. And while it makes me glad for my life situation, it also reminds me that there are times in life when we remain in the emotional hole. In our Burger King world, where we can have in our way right away, we want God to rescue us from our despair immediately. But sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes we go to bed still in distress - and that is okay - when we do, Psalms like this resonate with our souls as we continue to call out to God even when it seems as though he has abandoned us. SMJ
Each Christmas season I am amazed at the words of virtually every angel who takes part in the Christmas narrative. They almost always say "Do not be afraid." It seems as though we have so many things in our lives which create fear. We go to the doctor for our annual check-up. The blood test shows our cholestoral is high, or our blood pressure is higher than the present norms. So we fear the effects. There are so many physical issues which could arrise - cancer, diabetes, the list seems endless.
Then there are the non-medical issues we can worry about. The health care system overhaul. The economy. Will our job still be there next year? Will we be able to afford the basic necessities of life? And our reputation - what will people think of us? Will people love us if we get fat? Or disfigured? We are afraid of an aweful lot of things.
And yet the angels say: Do not be afraid. It is good advice. If we believe that God is really in control - even if we don't particularly like the way he exercises his control, we ultimately choose to trust. And trust helps eradicate fear. It doesn't take fear away completely, but it certainly helps. If God is in control, and God is loving and kind, the fears which so often control our lives ought to be temporary. We can get through it. We do not go through the issues of life alone. Christmas reminds us that we do not need to be afraid - God IS with us. SMJ
Psalm 13 brings up the question of why God seems to not act on our behalf. Of course I do not have the type of enemies David had - nobody is seeking my life - my enemies, to the extent that I have any, are fairly inocuous individuals who have little impact upon my life. I don't konw of anybody who will rejoice over my falling. But still, this Psalm speaks to me about those dry times in life when it seems as though God is distant.
I especially resonate with verse two - "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?" It seems so easy for me to entertain thought patterns which are out of character with my redeemer. All the morons on the road whom God loves. Discouragement over unmet goals and desires which I cannot seem to shake. Sometimes my thoughts triumph over me. And I am sad when they do.
Then I cry out to God to reveal himself to me. To let me see and experience his love so that I can reflect it to others. To let me see and experience his hope so I can give hope to others. To remember, that no matter what "enemies" I may see in a day, God is with me and God is good to me. SMJ
The Private Lunch blog is about my personal devotions. I hope to post to this blog each Tuesday.
Since it snowed this week, my mind has turned again to Psalm 51. In David's confession he talks about God washing him, making him whiter than snow. The beauty of new fallen snow has always captured my imagination. Everything is so pure, unblemished and peaceful. Confession gives that to me - God sees me as pure, unblemished and he grants me peace! SMJ
