Simple but powerful. Truth. Much needed.

“I disobey. God convicts and restores. I doubt. God works to make me a person of faith. I hunger. God feeds me with the bounty of his grace.”

So he began his devotion. The rest of the devotion is below (paragraphs are mine).

Plenteous grace is what I’ve been given; grace that is deeper, fuller, richer, and greater than my sin.

This grace does not suspend operations in the face of my disobedience. It will not turn its back in the face of my doubt. It will not stand idly by in the face of my hunger.

No, this is rich grace, perseverant grace, tender grace, powerful grace. There is really nothing like it, because it comes from the hand of God.

“Grace, grace, God’s grace/Grace that will pardon and cleanse within/Grace, grace, God’s grace/Grace that is greater than all our sin.” Words to an old hymn I remember.

Where would I be without grace? Paul knows where: “to save sinners of who I am foremost. But I received mercy … Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience…” I shudder to think what it would like and where I would be without grace. “Father, thank you seems so simple, so short of words to say.  But I don’t know what else to say. Your grace is magnificent and I am forever grateful for it.”

God has given me corporate worship to remind me who I am in Him. Why?

It is easy to forget:

• Who I am in Christ.
• Every trial sent my way is by a Savior of grace.
• My life has been invaded by One who is the “I Am.”
• God really lives inside me.
• God loves me and accepts me, even on my worst day.
• Jesus rules all things.
• Who I am and to look elsewhere for my identity.
• Nothing can separate me from God’s love.
• God gave me His Son.

1. It’s easy to give in.
2. It’s easy to shop around horizontally.
3. It’s easy to fail to live in the light that Jesus died for past, present and future sins.
4. It’s easy to feel weak under pressure.
5. It’s easy to question God’s goodness in times of trouble.
6. It’s easy to think life can be found outside the Messiah.

It is so easy to forget but corporate worship is to remind me I have promises to cling to, promises to claim.

“Father, today as I find myself in corporate worship and as I find myself around the Lord’s table, help me to remember what I sometimes forget. Thank you for constantly reminding me of your promises.”

When I read the opening statement: “Naming Jesus as Lord is the start of a theological commitment. Living as though He is Lord demands day-by-day forgiving, rescuing, and transforming grace,” I thought for sure I knew where Tripp was going. “He’s going to talk about living a life that lives out my personal theology.” But he surprised me. Oh, that’s an appendage in this devotion but I don’t see it as the crux of this devotion.

What I see in His challenge to not allow myself to be a “theology nerd.” So book-minded, so knowledge-minded that I’m no practical good. My reason for studying theology (the study of God) i.e. the Bible, is not to become a theo-geek (as he calls it), but to be transformed in my inner man. Paul talks about that in Romans 12:2- “Be not conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of my mind.” If all my study; if all my Bible reading; if all my reading and journaling of NMM; if all my extra morning reading is not transforming me then it is a waste. If I’m not becoming more holy; if I’m not conforming more to His holiness, then why do this?

I will never be mistaken for a theologian or an academic prodigy. N.E.V.E.R. But will people see Jesus in me? If not, pity me. I missed it.

“Father, transformation is your goal. Not smarter. not a better academic. Not a talking Bible. A person who follows You. Who walk His talk. help me to be that person.”

A paradox for sure: Death leads to life. Jesus must have loved speaking in paradoxes. “Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

But this one is a stumper unless you realize what Jesus is actually saying. I’m going to let Tripp explain it because he says it better than I can:

“I cannot live for my kingdom and His kingdom. I cannot write my own rules and submit to His. I cannot pride myself in my independent righteousness and cast myself on His righteousness at the same time. I cannot live for my glory and His glory. I cannot love the world in my heart and love Him above all else at the same time. I cannot insert myself in the center of my world and have Him at the center too.”

“You see coming to Christ is not a negotiation. An agreement. A contract. It is a death-mine. He died=I live. Now He asks that I lose my life in Him.” (this final paragraph edited by me).

Die=life. Live for self=I die. Die to self=I live. The choice is clear. I must choose.

“Father, the choice is clear. now help me to make it and stick by it.”

He hit on it this morning. Sometimes living in this world is just no fun at all. It can be discouraging as I watch things I had hope would change don’t.  Things I had hoped would make a different fail. Times of challenge become times of fear. Every move to improve, to change direction winds up being futile. Tripp summed it up well: “People die, dreams die, flowers die, and marriages, churches, jobs, and friendships go bad.” Very honestly, things look bleak. The world certainly isn’t getting better, more peaceful, or smoother running. The current political landscape (the ads especially) reminds me the world is a dirty place to live in.

It is easy to be discouraged with feelings of failure, futility, and fear ever present. But has said, “Do not fear!” Jesus told His disciples there is nothing to fear because “I have overcome the world.” He could, with a snap of a finger, bring the world into submission (it would be like slavery though). But He doesn’t operate like that. He operates by grace. And it is His grace which reminds me I don’t have to be discouraged; give in to futility, fear or failure. He will ultimately win and His grace will be the reason and the conquering hero.

“Father, thank you for the reassurance of your victory. As Luke 12 tells me I have nothing to be anxious about. Thanks that your grace is the ultimate hero, the one thing the enemy cannot and will not conquer.”

Idolatry. Something I’d like to consign to the tribes in out of the way places. To religions that have icons. Certainly not to me. But that’s where I’d be wrong.Tripp writes:

Idolatry occurs when anything created to point me to God replaces God in the thoughts and desires of my heart.

Well…since you put it that way! Guilty as charged. That puts a whole new perspective on it. So that means if I love Jo more; if I love my girls more; if I love my grandson more; if I love cycling more; if I love my job more; if I love man’s approval more than standing for truth; if I love (fill in the blank) more than I love God, it is idolatry. That puts a whole new spin on it. Suddenly idolatry is not a native in Africa or South America, or a religious person bowing before an icon who is guilty. It is me.

It is funny (not ha ha funny) that my own personal Bible reading was on Adam & Eve this morning. Same passage Tripp talk about. Tripp in his Christmas devotion, O Come Let Us Adore Him, talked about the violence of grace…all because of sin. I sense a theme! 🙂

“Father, Paul wrote about ‘all things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial.’ I am guilty of idolatry, of replacing my love and affection for you with someone or something else. Thanks for the ‘heart and love check’ this morning. May you be the center of my life; the king on my throne; the reason for my being.”

Discipline. I didn’t like it as a child; I don’t like it as an adult. Even though I know why and understand it better, that does not mean I like it any better. Hebrews is very clear as to why God disciplines us: “…but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness, for the moment all discipline seems painful than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

The point about discipline is that it is not punishment. That’s where I got mixed up as a kid, and for the longest time got mixed up as an adult. I saw God’s discipline for me as punishment because I didn’t measure up; or wasn’t good enough; or disappointed God one more time. My understanding cleared when I came to see that it is not dependent on me and my goodness, or my behavior, but on God’s love for me.

God is producing His character in me. Everything happening to me-good, bad, ugly, or indifferent-is happening so I can grow and develop into His likeness.

“Father, help me not to resent what is happening, what you are doing in my life. Your desire is to change me, to mold me into your likeness. I want your righteousness to be the fruit of my life.”

Question: Is it good or bad when the first words out of the box stab you in the heart? Just wondering because that’s what happens with Tripp’s opening statement:

Today, a war of love will be fought on the turf of my heart. Will I be ruled by love for God or for some other lover?

Let’s face it: my love for God will always be challenged. The war for supremacy is never-ending. I will always want too much. I will always want control. I will always fight where I want my affections to be grounded and where I want them to be satisfied.  Always.

Perhaps the biggest is what Tripp says: “a desire for a good thing becomes a bad thing when that desire becomes a ruling thing.” He goes on to add meat to that: “When good things become controlling, they command the affection of my heart and then shape my words and behavior. When this happens, they take the place in my heart that only God should have.”

“Father, the battle rages. Always. Who will have my affections? You want them. I need to give them to you. May my desire today be for you. May you be all I need and the One I cling to.”

God’s mercies are new every morning. Tripp started it this way:

The battles of sanctification are many, but God’s mercies are new morning after morning after morning.

“God’s love…never ceases. God will never give up on me. He will never walk away in disgust. He will never regret that He places His love on me. He will love me just as much on my worst day as He does on my best day. This gift of love is mine forever.”

“There are fresh mercies for me today, formfitted for all the things I will face, both those that I know about and may worry about, and those that I don’t know about yet. God’s mercy isn’t generic. It is personal grace, situational care and concrete help. It meets me right where I am and gives me just what I need.”

Father, I’m blown away by your grace and I’m blown away that your mercies are new everyday. I thank you I’m not thrown away. I thank you I’m not disposable. I thank you I’m not alone…never alone. Help me to trust in the promise of your grace and mercy. You love is steadfast, faithful and never-failing, and as Tripp says, is formfitted for me. Thank you.”

Other than the prayer, I’ve chosen to simply quote some of today’s devotion. It says it much better than I could and I really don’t have anything to add that would not be redundant.

The “already” and the “not yet.”

I’ve also been preparing myself for Christmas (and yes it is only October) by reading The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper. This is my 2nd time through. I’m also reading Tripp’s Christmas devotion O Come Let Us Adore Him. This is my 4th time through (3 times last year). Piper writes about how Christmas cut history into 2 ages: the age of promise and the age of fulfillment. He went on to write about-you guessed it-the “already” and the “not yet.” He took a different approach but they both come to virtually the same conclusion: “Grace is worth it. Grace is what it’s all about. Grace helps us see God more clearly. In fact, His existence, character, and plan make grace such a valuable commodity.

I struggle in the “now,” in the “already.” I have the “not yet” to look forward to. I tend to look for fulfillment here-on persons, places, or things. When I do I need to remember I have a Heavenly Father who love me with incredible love; shows me incredible grace; forgives me with incredible understanding; puts us with me with incredible patience; deals with me with incredible kindness; and shows me on a daily basis His incredible provision. All while knowing I’m an incredible scoundrel in need of that incredible love and grace.

“Father, let me not forget. I live between the “already” and the ‘not yet’ It is a constant battle to keep that in perspective. As I live I must trust you for the ‘now’ and the ‘not yet.’ Help me to trust.”