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He Really Is a Good, Good Father

1/19/2019

"Keep me [in Your affectionate care, protect me] as the apple of Your eye; Hide me in the [protective] shadow of Your wings."--Psalm 17:8 (AMP)

Every child longs to be loved, valued, wanted, accepted, and loved--especially in the eyes of parents, specifically fathers. Yet so many of us have had negative childhood experiences in which we felt unloved, unwanted, ignored, dismissed, or overlooked in the eyes of a father. Some may even have been abandoned or disowned by a biological father. When these things happen, we feel the stinging pain of rejection, abandonment, hurt.

These feelings and negative experiences can also impact how we perceive God--cold, distant, indifferent, stern, harsh, detached-- and how we believe he perceives us--insignificant, worthless, unlovable. These are false perceptions and beliefs that have their origin rooted in adverse childhood experiences. We can uproot the lies we believe and replace them with the truth of God's word. Contemplative prayer, reflection, and meditation on the word of God enable us to begin our journey in pursuing the zoe life Jesus speaks of in John 10:10. When we know the truth and The Truth, we are on our way to radical transformation and living lives of joy, satisfaction, peace, and wellness.

Consider meditating on the following scriptures:

Psalm 56:8
Psalm 139:2
Psalm 34:15-17
Jeremiah 29:12
Proverbs 15:29

Also, be sure to check out our latest podcast, "He Really Is a Good, Good Father" at:
www.podomatic.com/podcasts/abrokenheartsgps

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Recipients of Grace

1/5/2019

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"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."--2 Corinthians 12:9(KJV)

I have a fond memory of a precious "seasoned saint" in our church. As a young girl, this elderly woman fascinated me. She was very small in stature, but was big in personality and spirit. What fascinated me, was that she only had one arm. Yet, she lived as if she was not disabled--she lived independently, sang on the choir, faithfully served in various ministries, and babysat and cared for children. Her outlook on life and joy of living intrigued me. She would proudly declare, "I just love everybody!" And, it appeared that she truly did. What did she tap into that could lend to such a perspective and bold declaration? Perhaps she had identified the true meaning of biblical grace for herself.

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul gives us a glimpse into the struggle within his heart regarding the "thorn in his flesh". It's unclear what the thorn in the flesh was, but it was problematic enough for Paul to ask the Lord three times to remove it. The Lord's response, "My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

So, what is grace? What does it look like at work in our lives? Is it obtainable? How do we obtain it?

Consider the following Greek word study for further meditation, reflection, and prayer"

Grace (G5485) charis: pleasure, delight, that which affords joy, of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues, recompense, reward
Sufficient (G714) arkeo: to possess unfailing strength, to be satisfied, to be strong
Strength (G1411) dynamis: power, ability, inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
is made perfect (G5048) teleioo: to complete, to accomplish,
weakness (G769) astheneia: of the body--sickness, frailty, infirmity, of the soul--to bear trials and troubles, to restrain corrupt desires, to do things great and glorious

Grace is God's influence upon our souls that points us to Christ. His grace strengthens and keeps us. In his grace, there is unfailing strength by which we are satisfied. His strength--his power, ability rests on us even in our weakest moments because it is in those moments of frailty that we are emboldened and empowered to bear trials and troubles. And, the wonderful thing about grace is that each believer already has it!

I believe that the dear church mother from my childhood had received the grace that Paul spoke of in 2 Corinthians 12 as evidenced by the manner in which she lived her life. We are all the beneficiaries of the grace of God. He does not leave us to ourselves. He does not leave us weak, frail, and vulnerable; it's in those moments that we can receive the grace of God and watch him fulfill his promise--that his strength will be perfected in our weakness and that his merciful kindness will keep us.

Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for your grace. We thank you that your grace is sufficient. We thank you that even in our weakest moments your grace is at work in our lives. You are perfecting your strength within us. We receive the truth of your word, by faith in Jesus' name. Amen.

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A New Kind of Resolution

1/4/2019

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"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.--"Psalm 37:5(NLT)

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."--Psalm 37:5(KJV)

We're almost one full week into the New Year. Did you go into the new year making a resolution? The International Business Times (IBT) identifies the "Top 10 New Years Resolutions for people in the U.S." as follows:

Diet or eat healthier
Exercise more
Lose weight
Save more, spend less
Learn a new skill or hobby
Quit smoking
Read more
Find another job
Drink less alcohol
Spend more time with family and friends

Can you identify or see yourself anywhere in the list above? Undoubtedly most of us approach a new year with the best intentions to be a better version of ourselves than we were in the previous year. We want to see growth, improvement, and progress in our lives. Most of us do not want to be stagnant, idle, or complacent. So why are we not further along in our journey? Why do we lose our motivation and resolve? Is it because change is not happening fast enough? Do we revert back to old habits and mindsets? Do we get frustrated at a perceived lack of progress? Do we get too caught up in the "cares of life?' Are excuses impeding our way? These questions warrant personal introspection and self-evaluation. If we are not reaching our goals, we must ask ourselves, Why? It's a question for each of us to ponder and grapple with honestly within ourselves.

Perhaps it's prudent to resolve to evoke lasting and meaningful change by using God's word as our compass and our lens. What would it look like to make a resolution that invites God to be a part of our personal journey? The Bible teaches us that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:4-5).

Consider a word study of Psalm 37:5 for meditation and personal reflection:

commit (H1556) galal: to roll

way (H1870) derek: journey, manner, habit, way, course of life, moral character
trust (H982) batach: to trust in, to have confidence in, to feel safe, to make secure
also in him and he shall bring it to pass (H6213) 'asah: to do, to accomplish, to produce, to make, to bring about

Have you committed your way to the Lord? Have you rolled your manner, habits, moral character, or journey onto him? Have you placed your confidence in him to the point where you are wholly convinced, resting securely in the truth that he will empower you and enable you to be productive and fruitful? It is his desire that we live lives of abundance, fruitfulness, wellness, peace, and productivity (John 10:10).

If you have made a New Year's Resolution and have not invited God into your planning, may I encourage you to do so? He is ever present to help, lead, and guide each of us on our journey of living life to the full.

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He Really Is a Good, Good Father

Recipients of Grace

A New Kind of Resolution

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