“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:25-26
In the course of a single week my husband and I became grandparents for the first time, I started new classes at school and one of our daughters moved with her husband out of our state, that is a lot of new for one week.
As I was thinking about all the “new” in my personal life, I spent some time contemplating the cross of Christ. You see, as we read in this week’s passage God promised to cleanse the people of their sin and to give them a new heart. Jesus’ atoning work on the cross, the surrendering of His life for ours is God’s method of heart replacement.
Left to our own devices, we would try to fill our lives with new stuff - cars, clothes, recipes, furniture, whatever. For a while, those things might make us feel better, might mask the tight feeling of a hardened heart - but the feeling will not last. The search for a heart replacement will continue in a sometimes vicious cycle. Only Jesus can cleanse us from what separates us from God. Only Jesus can give us the new heart we need.
Best of all, because Jesus - the Son of God, paid the unfathomable price warranted by the cross, we can have a new heart as a gift. The remembrance of His death and the celebration of His resurrection will soon be here, so spend some time contemplating Jesus and the cross.
If you haven’t already accepted the gift of a new heart, now could be the right time to get one. The new heart will not guarantee smooth sailing in this life, but it does make new our relationship with God, it grants us an abundant life that allows us to really love and it comes with a warranty that will last for eternity.
A Prayer
Father, only You can make things new. Only You can make us new. Thank you for sending Your Son who willingly paid the price for our heart replacements. Help us to use our new hearts as you would have us use them. In the name of Jesus, the giver of new hearts, Amen.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
All We Need is Love
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s command and remain in his love. …This is my command: Love each other.”
John 15:9-10, 17
“Love, love, love all you need is love, love is all you need” that’s what the Beatle’s sang. I am not a Beatle’s fan but as I was thinking about today’s passage these words of the song came to mind. Perhaps we could change them to read: Love, love, love because of Love, all you need is love.
Jesus loved his disciples because He was loved by the Father. So He wants his disciples to love others because He has loved them. Earlier in his Gospel John shares similar words from Jesus “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).
The Greek word translated as love is agape - it is defined “as the active love of God for his Son and his people, and the active love his people are to have for God, each other, and even enemies. For the humans who live in this world, the command to love one another can be a tall order.
Spring is at hand, trees are blooming and soon some will bear fruit. The branches of fruit trees cannot bear fruit without the roots that nourish and water them. We cannot love as we are called to love without Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If we are to love as Jesus loved, if we are to love because Jesus loved, we must stay close to Him. We must live by His example.
Love, love, love - Yes, all we need is love - God’s love. This week as He fills you with His love, show that love to others, especially to those who are hard to love. By that others will see God’s love and you will bear the fruit you are meant to.
A Prayer
Father, thank you for the love relationship you have with Your Son. Thank you that Your Son loves us so much, even when we are undeserving. Help us to love as we have been loved. In the name of Jesus our Savior, Amen.
John 15:9-10, 17
“Love, love, love all you need is love, love is all you need” that’s what the Beatle’s sang. I am not a Beatle’s fan but as I was thinking about today’s passage these words of the song came to mind. Perhaps we could change them to read: Love, love, love because of Love, all you need is love.
Jesus loved his disciples because He was loved by the Father. So He wants his disciples to love others because He has loved them. Earlier in his Gospel John shares similar words from Jesus “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).
The Greek word translated as love is agape - it is defined “as the active love of God for his Son and his people, and the active love his people are to have for God, each other, and even enemies. For the humans who live in this world, the command to love one another can be a tall order.
Spring is at hand, trees are blooming and soon some will bear fruit. The branches of fruit trees cannot bear fruit without the roots that nourish and water them. We cannot love as we are called to love without Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If we are to love as Jesus loved, if we are to love because Jesus loved, we must stay close to Him. We must live by His example.
Love, love, love - Yes, all we need is love - God’s love. This week as He fills you with His love, show that love to others, especially to those who are hard to love. By that others will see God’s love and you will bear the fruit you are meant to.
A Prayer
Father, thank you for the love relationship you have with Your Son. Thank you that Your Son loves us so much, even when we are undeserving. Help us to love as we have been loved. In the name of Jesus our Savior, Amen.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Show Us
“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
Psalm 25:4-5
There are times in life when the cry of our hearts should be simply show us Lord. Show us your love, your strength, your plan, your path, your mercy, your grace - show us.
We live in an ever darkening world and even those of us who call ourselves by the name of Christ can sometimes find ourselves wondering in the shadows, unsure of where we should go, what we should do or what we should say. Those are the moments and seasons of life when we need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us because He will be faithful to make clear the path even if it is just one step at a time.
Not only will He show us, He will give us everything we need to take the step, speak the words and do whatever He has called us to do. He will be our courage if we need it. He will grant us His wisdom and He will be our light.
Where are you today? Do you need new direction - ask Him to show you. Do you need to show mercy and grace - ask Him to show you. No matter what you need or where you are in the journey - take heart and be hopeful because He will show you, guide you and teach you everything you need to know, when you need to know it.
This week ask Him to show you what you need to see, show you what you need to do, show you what you need say and when He does… just do it.
A Prayer
Father, thank you that you are ready to show us what we need to see, teach us what we need to learn and give us what we need to do Your will. Help us to ask when we are uncertain. Be with us, give us hope. In the name of Jesus our Savior, Amen.
Psalm 25:4-5
There are times in life when the cry of our hearts should be simply show us Lord. Show us your love, your strength, your plan, your path, your mercy, your grace - show us.
We live in an ever darkening world and even those of us who call ourselves by the name of Christ can sometimes find ourselves wondering in the shadows, unsure of where we should go, what we should do or what we should say. Those are the moments and seasons of life when we need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us because He will be faithful to make clear the path even if it is just one step at a time.
Not only will He show us, He will give us everything we need to take the step, speak the words and do whatever He has called us to do. He will be our courage if we need it. He will grant us His wisdom and He will be our light.
Where are you today? Do you need new direction - ask Him to show you. Do you need to show mercy and grace - ask Him to show you. No matter what you need or where you are in the journey - take heart and be hopeful because He will show you, guide you and teach you everything you need to know, when you need to know it.
This week ask Him to show you what you need to see, show you what you need to do, show you what you need say and when He does… just do it.
A Prayer
Father, thank you that you are ready to show us what we need to see, teach us what we need to learn and give us what we need to do Your will. Help us to ask when we are uncertain. Be with us, give us hope. In the name of Jesus our Savior, Amen.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Through the Looking Glass
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12
At some point in our lives we all have a day when we get out of bed look at ourselves in the mirror and think… it would just be better to climb back into bed and pull the blankets over our heads. One look and doubt about our value, our purpose creeps in and we haven’t even faced the world yet. We make the choice not to hide and go out into the world where our reflection can become even more clouded. The world has very definite ideas about how we should look and act and if we are living against the current that reflection can really beat us up.
Today’s passage from Paul’s love chapter reminds us that the mirrors in our lives do not reflect who we really are. Imagine that the mirror we gaze into in the morning, the one that reveals the wrinkles, dark circles under our eyes and the graying hair, is actually a two way mirror. On our side we see our flawed selves, the self the world has turned us into. The reflection that says we are not worthy, we have little value. On the other side of the mirror God is looking at us just as intently.
He sees a different version of us. He can see beyond what the world has made us to be. He sees beyond what we are and how we look. He sees beyond our flaws and sin. He sees us as He created us. He created each of us perfect to fulfill the purpose he has given us. He sees our value and He loves us.
As we race toward the solemn observance of Christ’s passion and the celebration of His resurrection, remember that His sacrifice was made because He loves us and He wants a vibrant relationship with us.
As Paul says today we see only a reflection. Someday we will look Jesus in the face and see who we really are in the glow of His glory. We will see what He sees and he sees us as beautiful and more than worth the price He paid to restore us.
A Prayer
Father, thank you that You see through what we see when we look in the mirror. Thank you for giving us value and beauty. Until we see you face to face, help us to catch a glimpse of who we are in you the next time we see our reflection. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
1 Corinthians 13:12
At some point in our lives we all have a day when we get out of bed look at ourselves in the mirror and think… it would just be better to climb back into bed and pull the blankets over our heads. One look and doubt about our value, our purpose creeps in and we haven’t even faced the world yet. We make the choice not to hide and go out into the world where our reflection can become even more clouded. The world has very definite ideas about how we should look and act and if we are living against the current that reflection can really beat us up.
Today’s passage from Paul’s love chapter reminds us that the mirrors in our lives do not reflect who we really are. Imagine that the mirror we gaze into in the morning, the one that reveals the wrinkles, dark circles under our eyes and the graying hair, is actually a two way mirror. On our side we see our flawed selves, the self the world has turned us into. The reflection that says we are not worthy, we have little value. On the other side of the mirror God is looking at us just as intently.
He sees a different version of us. He can see beyond what the world has made us to be. He sees beyond what we are and how we look. He sees beyond our flaws and sin. He sees us as He created us. He created each of us perfect to fulfill the purpose he has given us. He sees our value and He loves us.
As we race toward the solemn observance of Christ’s passion and the celebration of His resurrection, remember that His sacrifice was made because He loves us and He wants a vibrant relationship with us.
As Paul says today we see only a reflection. Someday we will look Jesus in the face and see who we really are in the glow of His glory. We will see what He sees and he sees us as beautiful and more than worth the price He paid to restore us.
A Prayer
Father, thank you that You see through what we see when we look in the mirror. Thank you for giving us value and beauty. Until we see you face to face, help us to catch a glimpse of who we are in you the next time we see our reflection. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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