Crunch time

But God’s grace gives us strength

Hebrews 13:9 Your strength comes from God’s grace.

Psalm 23:4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.

The image I chose for “Ordinary Time” is a father holding his child’s hand. It speaks to me of security, love, and strength.

Shutterstock: Vyestekimages

This day in “Ordinary Time” is a crunch day for Dave and me as we prepare to fly to Colombia early Wednesday for the first Latin American REVER Congress. (REVER stands for “to take another look,” a fitting acronym for emotional restoration ministry.) The theme of the congress is “Finding Joy in Difficult Times.”

This special event is drawing participants from across Latin America. Dave and I, as the “grandparents” of REVER, which we started in Brazil in 1996, will be speaking for 15 hours Friday and Saturday. Luciene, international director of REVER, has the opening plenary Thursday evening. (For those who prayed Lu through her terrible accident almost a year ago: I learned yesterday that she’s walking short distances now without a cane!)

I don’t expect to post this Thursday. By the time we get home next week, I hope my Inbox will be full of your “But God” stories—a feast of rejoicing in God’s work in your lives! I promise: YOU will be the one who benefits most, as you remember and tell and find yourself encouraged by what God has done for you, your hand in His.

This song says it all.

God of Every Grace, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell, Matt Papa

What do you want to tell your Father today?

But God knows March 14, 2022

Matthew 10:29-31 But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Matthew cites Jesus calling God his Father 45 times (Mark only 5; Luke 18 times). Why do you think Matthew paid so much attention to this? I would love to know your thoughts—you can write them in the Comments.

Most often, Jesus calls God “your Father,” as he does here. Read the verse again and then close your eyes for a moment. Can you imagine Jesus coming to you, right now, today, and saying these words to you?

Don’t be afraid. You are valuable to God. Don’t be afraid. Your Father knows. You matter to him. He notes even the smallest details of your life.

What do you want to tell your Father? What are you afraid of? Can you offer your fears to your Father, and then be still, receiving his peace?

“I cannot clutch this peace,” wrote Karis in one of her poems.* No, this is a daily transaction with our Father, clearing our souls of fear, letting his Presence touch and comfort us, re-centering into his peace. A transaction of trust. Imagine yourself as a small child, burrowing into the comfort of your Father’s lap.

Peace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW6xcmqfiY4

A song for Ukraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duOnmlJuNJQ

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul (Matthew 10:28).

*The poem “Caçula,” which means in Portuguese the youngest child of a family.

But the Spirit makes us right with God

Romans 8:10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.

Romans 2:16, 29 The day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life. … [He looks for] one whose heart is right with God … not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

I went through a phase as a child when I secretly “accepted Jesus” again every time I heard this invitation in church. Terrified of God’s anger, I tried desperately to be good. But I knew I wasn’t.

Somehow, I missed the teaching of Scripture about being God’s beloved child. When as an adult I found myself confronted by Ephesians 5:1-2, “Imitate God in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love…,” I told a trusted friend this might apply to other people, but not to me. It seemed to me self-evident, something I profoundly knew, that I could never please God. I had no concept of God as my loving Father, or of what it felt like to be a beloved child.

So, accepting Paul’s statement, The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you—one of the most amazing, hope-filled affirmations ever penned—has been a process.

Stop for a second and think about this for yourself. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. What does this mean to you? What words come to mind? How does this feel?

Asking myself these questions, I responded, “The Spirit has power, the power of life over death, the power to fill my heart with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). I can’t generate these qualities in myself, true. But he can! How does that feel? It feels like hope, and relief, and freedom.”

My spiritual director often says to me, “God is easy to please. Actually, he delights in you. And he knows you; he knows what he has to work with. Don’t try harder. Instead, relax into his love and power.”

Is this a message you need to hear today?