“It takes two to fight.” Isn’t that one of those mom sayings we have all heard a million times? (not to exaggerate or anything) But growing up, I certainly did hear those words often enough from my mom, even as I continued to argue with my sisters and attempt to put the blame solely on them for whatever was transpiring at the time.

Now it occurs to me that prayer is another thing that takes two, because prayer is a conversation and conversation requires a speaker and a listener, hence two. (ok, if you are like me and you talk to yourself, you may beg to differ on this issue of needing at least two for a conversation to take place, but technically conversation requires two people) In a good conversation, the roles of speaker and listener are shared fairly equally between the two participants.

I want to become a better listener. I want to learn to listen with my heart as much as with my ears. (and when my hearing goes, I will really need to hope that my heart has learned to listen well) Today, as I think about my conversations with God, I must admit I too often cast myself in the role of speaker and not often enough do I take on the role of listener. Now I am told in God’s word that I can “cast all my cares on Him, because He cares for me” (1 Peter 5:7) and this is true. Boy do I take my Heavenly Father up on that invitation!

And I am invited to “present my requests to God” in Philippians 4:6. However, that same verse instructs me to do this “with thanksgiving.” How often do I skip the thanks and go straight to my list of needs, wants and desires? (that was a rhetorical question, I am too ashamed to actually answer) Have I patterned my prayer life after the relationship I had with Santa Claus as a small child? I would visit Santa once a year, sit on his lap and let him know what I wanted for Christmas. Other than “HO! HO! HO! and a Merry Christmas to you little girl!” Santa never had much else to say. Of course, I hadn’t waited all that time in line to listen to Santa. I was there to talk; he was there to listen to me talk.

I have gotten pretty good at bending God’s ear. But that’s not conversation if I don’t let God bend my ear right back. And if it’s not conversation, then it’s not prayer either – at least not all that prayer is meant to be. I read in Jeremiah,

“This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it – the Lord is His name: ‘Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ ” (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

God will answer me! God will tell me things I don’t know. (there’s a lot I don’t know, so that could take awhile) But I have to take on the role of listener in order for this to happen. I can learn from Samuel a different kind of a prayer. I will make his shout out to God my own.

“Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’ ” (1 Samuel 3:10)

In order to listen well, I need to “be still and know that He is God;” (Psalm 46:10)

I want to participate in my prayer conversations with my Heavenly Father as the listener, not always the speaker who never lets God get a word in edgewise. I often feel He is silent, when in reality, I just haven’t stopped talking, ie. complaining, requesting etc. I haven’t been a patient or a persistent listener. (although I have been quite the persistent petitioner at times) It’s not that God isn’t speaking, it’s that I’m not listening. So much noise. This world is such a noisy place. Must be why my Heavenly Father wants to lead me to a quieter place. (if I would just listen to Him)

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:2-3)

He leads me, He restores me, He guides me – I have to be listening to Him for all that to happen. If I’m not listening, He can’t lead me.

Lord, like Samuel, do I dare to say, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”? How easily I am distracted, even as I long for a word from You, I turn on my TV or my music. I seek the company of others but not Your presence. I refuse to come away to Your green pastures and still waters – even though I am starving – hungry and thirsty for a word from You – for what only You offer, Yourself, Your presence. May I desire not what You would do for me or give to me, but instead may I want only what abiding in Your presence brings, which is comfort, peace, purpose, meaning, joy, hope, healing, strength, wisdom, courage, compassion, connection, mercy, forgiveness, knowing, being known, belonging, acceptance – the list is endless – probably because Your presence is infinite.

Oh Lord, speak, for Your servant wants to learn to listen, wants to hear Your still small voice. I know that You listen to me. I want to return the favor.

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.” (Psalm 18:6) In fact, my Heavenly Father is such a good listener that,

“Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord.” (Psalm 139:4) Now that’s a good listener! Lord, may I learn to recognize and heed Your voice.

If I can recognize my Heavenly Father’s voice, that certainly makes listening easier, doesn’t it? I think about how God’s voice came to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-13, when Elijah was waiting on a word.

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”

If I’m waiting for booming thunder before I will listen, then I will miss the gentle whisper of God’s voice. I want to be a better listener, a listener that can hear the whisper of God above the shouting of the world’s voices clamoring for my attention.

“Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My doors, waiting at My doorway. For whoever finds Me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.” (Proverbs 8:34-35)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)

speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening!

sincerely, Grace Day

Two essentials in life – roots and wings. At first glance, these two would seem to be opposites and therefore mutually exclusive. I would have to choose one or the other if that were the case. But I crave both. I need both in my life. I need roots and I long for wings. I want to be grounded in a safe place where I belong and I want to soar to new places and unknown heights. I want both roots and wings, and I want them simultaneously.

This is the gift of hope. Hope gives me roots and hope gives me wings. Without hope I have neither. But hope graciously gives me both. And hope is the gift of God. Consider what it says in Hebrews 6:19,

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

Here hope acts as an anchor, it is roots for me, keeping me grounded and secure. When the writer says “this hope” he is referring to the hope I have in Jesus as my Savior and my Lord. Jesus doesn’t change so my hope in Him has found a home. I can put down roots and know I have found a place where I belong.

But my hope in God also brings me wings. I have His promise in Isaiah 40:31,

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Hope carries me soaring on eagles’ wings. Hope gives me wings of my own. With these wings, I experience the glorious freedom found only in Christ. Hope roots me in the foundation of God’s truth, which never changes, and His truth then sets me free to fly on hope’s wings. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

We are told to give our children roots and wings – that’s what my Heavenly Father has given to me – roots and wings. Rooted in God’s word, I receive the nourishment that sustains my heart and soul. That same nourishment from my roots, strengthens my wings and enables me to soar freely to new heights. My roots and my wings work together! Thank You, Heavenly Father, for giving me both roots and wings.

“Let your roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught.” (Colossians 2:7)

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: . . . ‘those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.’ ” (Isaiah 49:22-23)

sincerely, Grace Day

I remember the words because I had to memorize them in elementary school. They were the words to a poem by Robert Frost entitled “The Road Not Taken” The words that stuck with me through all these years (becoming my favorite quote) are – “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

Since memorizing that poem I have chosen a lot of roads during my lifetime. In fact, life is pretty much a series of constant choices every day. And the choices I make matter. Which path I choose matters.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

How can I know which path to choose? The person in the poem debated before he chose, but he could only see so far down the path and no further. He couldn’t see beyond the bend. He couldn’t know where the path would lead nor where it would end. “long I stood, And looked down one as far as I could, To where it bent in the undergrowth;” He had to make a choice without seeing where the road ended. What to do?

“Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; in all my ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct my paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) Why would I trust God to lead me down any particular path? Maybe because He sees things from a higher perspective than I do. God has a totally different vantage point.

“I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.” (Isaiah 46:9-10)

Two roads before me – I have a choice to make. The journey is mine for the choosing. I always have a choice. Robert Frost’s poem is about an age-old dilemma – which direction to take? which way is the more desirable? Joshua faced such a choice and said,

” . . . choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

That choice did not lead down the easiest path, but it was and is the path that leads to life. Consider what Matthew 7:13-14 says,

“For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

That sure sounds like a road less traveled by, to me. I am faced with two roads diverging several times each day and choosing the less traveled road is not always easy. Consider what I am instructed to do (or to choose) in Romans 12:9-21 –

“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. . . . Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. . . . Do not repay anyone evil for evil. . . . If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, . . . If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. . . . Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

These are hard choices to make. I don’t always feel like being joyful, patient or faithful. I definitely don’t feel like blessing and feeding those who are hurtful to me and therefore are my enemies. I don’t always want to choose the path of kind words and deeds when others are unkind or even cruel. The path of honesty often seems harder to choose than the path of deception. (just look at those in positions of public trust) The road less traveled by is the lonelier, harder road for sure but it is the road with the better reward at the end. Guess that’s why I like this quote – it reminds me to choose the higher, harder, lonelier way – because in the end that will make all the difference.

And now for the competing quote – also a long time favorite. “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good that I can do, therefore or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” Stephen Grellet

For a procrastinator such as myself, these are sobering words. I always think I’ll get to it tomorrow, but today is what I’ve been given, while tomorrow is promised to no one, including me. Sometimes this quote haunts me more than it motivates me. But ultimately these words remind me to live in the moment and not to leave things unsaid or undone that would be a help or an encouragement to someone else. (but always good to leave unsaid and undone those words and deeds which harm and discourage someone else)

I think Paul gave the same advice to the Ephesians that Grellet gave when he said not to defer in doing good. In other words, don’t put it off! Paul said it like this,

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

that’s what I want to do, make the most of every opportunity. Each day is a gift from God and I don’t want to waste one moment – I will not pass this way again.

well, that’s it for the competing quotes. I actually have a third quote that might be my favorite of them all, “though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.”

but that’s another post for another day,

sincerely, Grace Day

Monday was more than a day off. It was a day to honor the memory of a man, Martin Luther King, Jr. and to celebrate the legacy he left to us all. Today, back at work, I am looking at a picture of King at the Lincoln Memorial in D.C., taken when he delivered his “I have a dream” speech on August 28th, 1963. I am reading that speech again today along with the students in this classroom. As I read, I realize once again this is possibly the greatest speech of all time. King himself said that this gathering would go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

And so it did. King said they had come to cash the check written by our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation. He stated, “We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.” And so the check was cashed, ending segregation in schools, sports teams, businesses etc. Everyone must have equal opportunity to work, to learn, to live – no one should be denied these things in a free country.

This right to freedom is based on truth – a truth upon which our country was constructed, a truth that is written into our nation’s history because this truth is written into our founding documents. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.” (Declaration of Independence)

And with the declaration of those words, a country came into being – “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” (Gettysburg Address) We were founded for Freedom. And the very foundation of that freedom is an immutable truth – “all men are created equal.” How can this be?, you ask. It certainly doesn’t seem as if this is so. We are each born into different circumstances and born with varying abilities and attributes. But in God’s eyes, because we are created by Him for Him, we each have infinite worth and value, despite what the world might say.

Our Declaration of Independence recognizes this truth – that our worth and the inherit worth of every individual comes from our Creator God because we are created in His image. This truth of all being created by God and therefore all having equal worth and dignity, is the basis for declaring that all men (people) have these unalienable rights, not just some, and that all people, not just some, must be free to pursue and enjoy them. Our freedom comes from God, not government. Our founders knew this truth and built our country on the foundation of this truth.

Today, those that come to our country, like our founders before them, are still coming for the same reason – a desire to be free – a desire to live in freedom, peace and the prosperity that freedom brings with it. But freedom can only be sustained as long as the truth that upholds it remains as its foundation. When truth falls away, the foundation falls and freedom along with it. This nation was built on belief in Almighty God – God’s providence and His sovereignty have long been acknowledged in our public life. (as evidenced in both Washington’s and Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamations, for example)

Dr. King referred repeatedly to “all God’s children” in his “I have a dream” speech, saying “when we allow freedom to ring, . . . we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing . . . Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” That’s how his speech ended on that August day in 1963.

But this was not the end of MLK’s legacy. It was rather a renewal of the truth that had given birth to this country in the first place. Truth – we are all God’s children. We are created equal in God’s eyes. And because we are all equally valuable to our Creator, we are all entitled to live free, all entitled to equal opportunities and equal protection under the law. In God’s eyes, all lives matter – poor lives, elderly lives, infirm lives, pre-born lives, handicapped lives, – not just the lives of the rich and powerful.

MLK left us a legacy of faith, freedom, justice, equality based on the truth that we are all God’s children, equally loved, equally valued and therefore entitled equally to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This has been our nation’s guiding principle from our founding. Although the implementation has been imperfect, the goal based on this truth (that we are made in God’s image and therefore each one has dignity and worth) has remained unchanged over time. Until now.

With the appearance of BLM in our country, a new way of thinking has been introduced into our culture. We have seen these initials painted on our cities’ streets and displayed on sports teams’ uniforms even as we have watched BLM rioters burn down businesses in minority and black neighborhoods. BLM’s actions are the opposite of what one would expect given their name – Black Lives Matter. This organization has devastated and destroyed neighborhoods and cities across our country in the name of – of what? Equality? They tore down, without building up. No lives were uplifted or made better. Many were lost and the very people they purported to care about were left with communities devoid of the businesses that had provided them jobs and places to shop for food, clothes etc.

BLM did not provide progress for anyone, except perhaps its founders, who bought expensive homes with the money they collected in BLM’s name. Simultaneously, we have seen CRT make its appearance in our schools. Coincidence? I think not. Both BLM and CRT have their origins in Marxism. This is significant because Marxism is an atheistic ideology. If there is no God, then human life has no value. This leaves the door open for any and all atrocities against mankind and against any group of people those in power at the moment deem not worthy to live or to partake in the current society.

Critical Race Theory teaches children that the color of their skin determines their identity (oppressor, victim, etc.) and their value. This is the opposite of what Dr. King stated in his speech when he said that people should be judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. CRT divides people into groups and pits them against one another. Dr. King said we are all God’s children. (one group – the human race) Dr. King did indeed have a dream. However, BLM and CRT don’t fit into that dream. Instead, they are instruments being used to replace that dream with one called utopia, in which man, not God is in charge.

We all see how well that worked out when Adam and Eve decided to do things their way in the garden. Freedom and peace have been elusive ever since. Still the pilgrims traveled across an ocean in pursuit of this dream, to be free to worship God and live by His principles. Nearly two centuries later, Dr. King would tell the world that he shared in that same dream and urge that it become a reality for all, not just for some. He wanted the check cashed. Not the bank burned down.

BLM and CRT want the bank burned down and everything with it. This was not Dr. King’s vision for our country. He acknowledged our Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Emancipation Proclamation and the truths they contain, as the foundation upon which our nation is built. If we take away the foundation, the country collapses. When we remove these self-evident truths, (such as all men are created by God and created equal) we have nothing left on which to stand. It is a slippery slope.

Without God and truth, there is nothing to support freedom, equality, justice, peace – all the things we want in our daily lives. But now we say “there is no truth.” We are like the people Paul talked about in Romans when he said,

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.” (Romans 1:25)

A country built on lies (propaganda) soon collapses or falls into communism. We are witnessing this process now as truth is under attack from groups such as BLM and from teachings such as CRT. Truth is necessary for freedom to flourish. Jesus said,

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

In observing MLK Day, I am reminded of Dr. King’s legacy and I take heart as I read again the words of his “I have a dream” speech. They are words of truth, full of hope for the future. We have come too far, too many have sacrificed too much, to allow BLM and CRT to tear down the dream of MLK – a dream of freedom, equality, justice and peace. We can yet be the nation Dr. King believed we could be. The self-evident truths of our founding documents will hold firm as our foundation if we do not abandon them.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)

sincerely, Grace Day

We’ve all been there at one time or another – probably more often than we would want to admit to ourselves or to others. But times of feeling deserted and alone come to each one of us, it is inevitable. Even Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” as He hung, dying on the cross. Centuries earlier, King David cried out to God with those same words, which we read in Psalm 22,

“My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer, by night, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:1-2)

My times of greatest need are often the times when I feel most alone. People I counted on are nowhere to be found and I am left to face a particular trial or life circumstance alone. Job felt this way, even though three “friends” initially came to advise him during his prolonged time of hardship and loss. But Job was looking for God during his time of tribulation. In fact, Job was desperate to find God, desperate to hear a word from God. We read about it in Job 23 where Job says,

“If only I knew where to find Him (God); if only I could go to His dwelling! . . . But if I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him; when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him.” (Job 23:3-9)

I can relate to Job – longing to feel God’s presence, searching desperately for Him, and feeling He is nowhere to be found. I am left abandoned and alone to face life’s current trial – or so I believe. Job had done the work, he had sought God everywhere (east, west, north, south) but to no avail. Time to give up, right? But at this point Job says something surprising, when he says,

“But He (God) knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” How unexpected. Job can’t find God but even in the midst of his apparent abandonment, he states that he still has faith in God. Job says he knows, not just wishes or hopes, but he knows that God knows where he, Job, is. Job knows he is not lost to God, even though he feels God is lost to him at the moment.

Even in his darkest hour, Job testifies that God is not oblivious to his circumstances but knows exactly what he is going through and sees exactly where he is. (“He knows the way that I take”) And even more surprising, Job acknowledges his belief in God’s goodness, even after complaining that God is nowhere to be found, when he says that he, Job, will come forth as gold. In other words, Job believes God will bring him safely and victoriously through his circumstances, even though at the moment, he feels alone and abandoned by everyone, including God.

I wonder if that’s how the three in King Nebuchadnezzar’s red-hot furnace felt? Did they wonder where God was in their trial? Turns out, God was right there in the furnace with them – whether they were aware of it at the time or not.

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’ ” (Daniel 3:24-25)

God’s presence delivered the three, unbound and unharmed, from the fire in the furnace. God’s presence will deliver me. Even when I am feeling forsaken, I need only remember His promise in Deuteronomy 31:8,

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

I am not alone, I am not forsaken. My Heavenly Father always knows the way that I take. He is in the furnace with me! (even if I can’t see Him, like Job couldn’t)

“God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3)

sincerely, Grace Day

Homeless, homesick, homeward bound, – there’s something about the idea of “home” that cuts to the core of who we are as human beings. Created for community and relationship, we constantly search for that place called “home.” Why? Because home is that place where we always have a place, the place where we belong, the place where everybody knows our name and they know who we are – the good, the bad and the ugly.

We have embroidery worthy sayings such as, “home is where you hang your hat”, or “home is where the heart is”, “there’s no place like home”, “charity begins at home”, or simply “home sweet home”. I like this quote from William J. Bennett who said, “Home is a shelter from storms – all sorts of storms.”

Because life is full of storms – inescapable storms of every kind. There are literal storms, brought to us by the weather such as tornados, blizzards, hail, thunder storms, etc. and then there are the storms brought to us by life and circumstance including illness, loss, hardships, setbacks, disappointments, betrayals, loneliness, – the list of life’s storms is a long one. Storms are inescapable, making shelter invaluable. And so I ask, where can I find shelter from the storm in times of trouble?

“For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5)

My Heavenly Father wants to be my shelter. I read in Psalm 91:1-4 words that reassure me of this truth,

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

He who dwells, he who lives, he who abides – our dwelling, our abode, where we live – that’s home. It is often pointed out that we don’t get to choose the family we are born into and consequently the people with whom we share a home. Our earthly homes are not always safe places. We become wanderers in search of a home figuratively if not literally, as is the case for so many today. We search for physical shelter even as our souls long for spiritual shelter. Our Heavenly Father wants to give us both.

Ever have trouble finding a roommate? Is it difficult to find people who want to abide with you? Perhaps you feel ostracized by family or friends. So the realization that there is someone who invites you into their life and is asking permission to enter into yours, may come as quite a shock to you. But it’s true! And even more shocking is the identity of the person who wants to abide with me and with you.

“Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’ ” (John 14:23)

Another translation says, “make our abode with him”. This idea of abiding implies a lasting commitment, a permanence, a settling in and a hunkering down. It hints at a long-lasting relationship. Jesus is saying that He and His Father God want to come to me and make Their home with me! How can this be? The God who spoke the universe into existence, who calls every star by name, wants to abide with me? Then I read Jesus’s words in Revelation 3:20,

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” I read this as if Jesus is saying these words personally to me, because He is,

“Here I am! I stand at your door and knock. If you hear My voice and open your door, I will come in and eat with you, and you with Me.”

What an invitation! When Jesus says He will come in and eat with me, that’s personal, deeply personal – the breaking of bread together – something Jesus did often when He was here – ending with the Last Supper when He broke bread with His disciples. But God is a uniquely personal God. He created us for relationship, for abiding with Him. Consider to what lengths He has gone to make this abiding possible,

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, . . . made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8)

All this, coming here, dying for our sins, making forgiveness and reconciliation possible (reconciliation paves the way for abiding) – all so that we can abide with Him! Still, I struggle to believe that God is really that interested in abiding with me. (or with any of us mortal humans, for that matter) But God Himself dispels any doubt when He says in His Word,

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14;2-3)

That’s abiding – dwelling together in the same place. This has been God’s plan all along, for me to be with Him, for anyone who accepts His invitation and opens the door, to be with Him. This is how it will be,

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

This is abiding – Jesus assures me, “Abide in Me, and I will abide in you.” (John 15:4) As I abide in Him, He promises to make His home with me.

abiding – “For in Him I live and move and have my being.” (Acts 17:28)

abiding is personal – just like Jesus, who knows every hair of my head and the way that I take. abiding – I open the door when He knocks and let Him in – we are at home together – dwelling together – that’s abiding – residing in, resting in, rejoicing in the refuge of the safe place my Heavenly Father’s presence provides me –

abiding – living, moving, being, playing, working, worshiping, learning, growing, feasting, mourning, trusting, obeying, following, belonging, crying out, being still,

abiding is knowing and being fully known and accepted (1 Corinthians 13:12) – no longer invisible – abiding is living in the shelter of His wings –

abiding – for this we were created

“I take oh cross thy shadow for my abiding place”

sincerely, Grace Day

There are certain things I count on – sunrises and sunsets – ? – ok, I can’t think of anything else at the moment that is consistently constant in life. The real constant seems to be change. Everything around me is constantly changing, including the people in my life who move around and away so often I can’t keep up and neither can my address book. I want to ask, “doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore?” – as the song says. My computer is continually receiving “updates” as are phones as well. Technology is outdated before we even get it home from the store.

So you can imagine my alarm and dismay when I heard the news that BMW now has a car that changes color! This would be my worst nightmare for sure. I have trouble now finding my car in the parking lot when I come out of the store or the gym or wherever I’ve been. Sometimes my search lasts longer than at other times, but it does happen to me more often than I would want to admit. Now I have had my car for seven years and it is still the same color it has always been, yet I often have trouble locating it in a crowded parking lot, as I have just confessed to you. This is because I can’t seem to remember where I parked, not because I can’t remember what color car I drive.

But if I had a car that changes color, this would add a significant challenge to my parking lot search. I might not recognize my own car and I wouldn’t know for sure what color car I was looking for. Of course these cars are not going to be like chameleons, changing color at will on their own, playing tricks on their owners and such. I, as the car owner, will decide on the color changes and when they occur. But when I come out of the store, will I remember to what color I have most recently changed my car? I already know the answer to this question – no, I will not remember my car’s current color, even though I’m the one who committed to the color change in the first place.

There are so many things I seem to be forgetting, probably because things change so often. So I have no confidence that I would keep up with my car’s constant color changes and remember today’s chosen color. I’ve got more important things to remember, like the passwords I have chosen for so many different things that require passwords. Keeping track of my car’s color is a challenge I don’t need.

Fortunately, I won’t lose much sleep over this new car feature since I don’t think I’ll ever own a BMW. However, it is exhausting keeping up with all the other changes that occur every day, leaving me to play catch up constantly. COVID rules keep changing and I need to keep up. Quarantine is down to five days now from the original fourteen. This seems hopeful. To be “fully vaxed” now includes a booster shot. We are no longer told the vaccine will protect us from infection or stop its spread – but we are promised that it will prevent hospitalization and death. Fauci said masks weren’t necessary, then he made masks mandatory.

The rules for travel and testing change daily, making planning ahead tenuous at best. Is it a vaccine passport that’s required or a negative test? or both? seventy-two hours before or forty-eight? Two weeks to flatten the curve is approaching two years and the conflicting information I am given changes daily. If only there were something or someone who didn’t change – something or someone that I could count on to remain constant in this world of constant change. This would be an anchor for me, something to keep me from getting swept up and away in the constant chaos of uncertainty and change. Hebrews 13:8 has the answer,

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

The consistency I long for and the comfort that it brings are found in the person of Jesus. This is reaffirmed in James 1:17 when James describes God as,

“the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

In Numbers I read, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.” (Numbers 23:19-20)

How often am I lied to by those I trust? How often do people change their minds? I know I change my mind often enough as I am bombarded by changing information from all sides. But I have found a constant to hold onto in this chaotic, ever changing, always uncertain world. Jesus’s words reassure me,

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Today I can say along with the apostle Paul,

” . . . I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12) The New Living Translation of God’s word says the same thing in this way,

” . . . for I know the One in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return.” (2 Timothy 1:12 NLT)

I have believed Jesus, I can trust Him (because He does not change) I can entrust myself and my future to Him because He is able to keep me. He will guard my life until the day of His return.

Lord, thank You for being the same yesterday and today and forever. You are my constant in this inconstant world,

sincerely, Grace Day

Ok, I admit it. I get attached to my Christmas decorations and I put off taking them down and packing them away. Sure, part of this is my natural procrastination inclination, but mostly I just like having them out where I can see and enjoy them. They are full of memories as they are connections to Christmases past and the people who gave them to me. But there’s another reason I put off packing away my decorations.

Taking down my tree and packing away my decorations always leaves me feeling vaguely sad and somehow disappointed. It doesn’t seem to matter how many gifts I got or how great a time I had visiting with family and friends. This post-Advent let down of mine has more to do with the fact that Christmas has come and gone and the anticipation is now over. You see, the world during Advent is by definition a world made up of days filled with anticipation, with preparation, with excitement and with hope.

We wait with expectation, excitement and hope for any number of things during the month of December – the arrival of Santa, certain foods we maybe only prepare and enjoy during Advent, spending time with family members and others we don’t often see, special music we only hear at Christmas, decorating, celebrating the Advent season with others at Christmas parties, a concert, a school Christmas pageant, a candlelight church service – all part of the anticipation of Advent.

Maybe more so when we were children, but even as adults we look forward to these and other things during Advent. After all, children (of all ages?) wonder what’s in those unopened presents under the tree. We wait eagerly for the time when we are allowed to open them and find out. During this time of waiting, anything is possible, until the gifts are actually opened, thus ending the dreams of what they might be with the reality of what they actually are.

It seems like this is what happened that first Christmas. When God gave His long-promised gift, His Son, Jesus, to the world, the world suffered the first post-Advent let down. Today we may call it post holiday blues or after Christmas depression, but it’s all the same thing – the let down we experience now that the gifts have been given, the anticipation is over and the disappointment has set in.

In this post-Advent world, we are living with the let down that follows a season full of anticipation, preparation, excitement and hope, just like the people in Jesus’s day were living with their own post-Advent let down. You see, their prophets had long been promising them that God would send them a King to deliver them from the oppression they suffered at the hands of other nations, such as Rome. Consequently, they were expecting, indeed they had been anticipating for centuries a rich, powerful, educated, well-connected, royal ruler to lead them in battle against their enemies and deliver them from their current bondage.

Imagine their disappointment when the promised gift turned out to be a baby in a manger, born in obscurity to poor parents with no power or position whatsoever. Talk about your post-Advent let down. We read in John 1:10-11,

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.”

They didn’t recognize Jesus as the promised gift of God which the prophets had predicted. They rejected God’s gift. Their anticipation was over. The gift had been given and they were disappointed in the gift. Now that the gift had been unwrapped, so to speak, anticipation was gone and along with it hope. Their hope had been in a promised Messiah, not in a helpless baby in a manger.

Not everyone felt this way, however. Remember Simeon? He recognized God’s gift of His Son for what it really was – the gift of eternal life, the gift that does not disappoint.

“Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.” (Isaiah 49:23)

“So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.’ ” (Isaiah 28:16)

Simeon was not disappointed with God’s gift of the baby in the manger. We read his story in Luke,

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. . . . When the parents brought in the child Jesus . . . Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel.’ ” (Luke 2:25-32)

Simeon did recognize and accept God’s promised gift. Simeon was not disappointed in the least. In fact, he rejoiced in God’s gift of salvation, praised Him and thanked Him that he could now die in peace. Simeon’s long anticipation was rewarded with his hope fulfilled in the gift of Jesus. He was not disappointed in Jesus, nor would Jesus disappoint him.

Now although I began this post by saying that we are living in a post-Advent world, that is not entirely true. We are between Advents. I guess that makes this an inter-Advent era? Jesus has come (first Advent), Jesus is coming back again (second Advent). So, as I stated earlier in this post, if we are living in days of Advent, then by definition these days are days filled with anticipation, with preparation, with excitement, and with hope.

Doesn’t sound like what you and I are currently experiencing? or like what we see around us in this world, does it? I wonder why? Is it that we think all the gifts have been opened, all the sweet treats eaten, all the songs have been sung and there is nothing left to anticipate, to prepare for, to get excited about or to hope for now? We couldn’t be more wrong, dear readers. Jesus promised to return, we just don’t know when that will be. I guess we find it harder to prepare for something when we don’t have a target date or a deadline to meet. (we procrastinators find deadlines particularly helpful in motivating us)

Must have been how the Israelites felt while waiting for their promised Messiah for so many centuries. It is hard to stay prepared and excited and hopeful over such a long time. But that is what we are called to do today. Every day can be a day of anticipation, preparation, excitement, (I’ll throw in joy for good measure) and hope. We do not lose hope because we have God’s promise. And hope sustains through dark days and tough times. Because Jesus promised He will return, we do have something to anticipate, to prepare ourselves for, to be excited about, to be joyful over and to hope in.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Revelation 22:12-130

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Lord, let my inter-Advent days be filled, each one, with Advent’s gifts of anticipation, preparation, excitement, joy and hope – yes, hope – something this world sorely needs right now – hope – one of Your many good and perfect gifts – (James 1:17)

sincerely, Grace Day

There’s strength in numbers. There’s safety in numbers – two maxims I’ve heard often. However, today an image comes to mind, inescapable, burned in my brain some thirty years ago. I carry it with me still. It has not lost its clarity nor its call. I see it still in my mind’s eye, this photograph of a single, solitary figure standing alone in a great, empty expanse of a town square, face to face with a military tank, a tank which is the first in a single file line of tanks approaching as the lone figure stands his ground.

The year was 1989 and the place was Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. The person who faced the line of military tanks alone has not been positively identified to this day. He was arrested and carried away, never to be heard from again. (there were rumors he was executed shortly afterward) Ironic – his action was in protest of the lack of free speech in his country, China. The response to his protest was to silence his voice permanently. He was not heard from again. But the image of his courageous action could not be silenced nor erased. The photograph lives on, inspiring future generations around the world. In this case, one picture is worth a thousand words and so much more.

But here’s another irony. While people around the globe have seen this iconic image often in the thirty years since his protest was captured on film, his own countrymen do not have access to this photo because it is banned in China as are all memories of the protests and subsequent massacre that took place in Tiananmen Square in the spring of 1989. (a memorial to the Tiananmen Square massacre of ’89 was recently taken down from a Hong Kong university because it commemorated all those who lost their lives protesting government censorship and the accompanying lack of free speech in China)

So there is a generation growing up in China today that knows nothing of the Tiananmen Square protests because the government has attempted to erase through censorship every trace of what occurred there, even to removing memorials and banning photographs of the event. It is as if it never took place. Out of sight – out of mind. But I doubt even a Communist regime can erase the memory of this event from the minds of the million or more people who were those protesters in April, May and June of 1989. Those that survived the massacre carry the truth of what happened with them even though they are not allowed to share that truth with others. Fear is a powerful silencer.

The protests that had begun with such promise as the crowds grew large, ended with one person alone, facing a line of tanks. After weeks of protest and confrontation, which did not end in the victory of freedom for all (nor for any) nor of free speech, this final image of a small man facing down a huge tank, was all that was left. But this is not an image of defeat. It is an image of the courage and resilience and perseverance of the human spirit. It is an image of hope. It is an image of the power of one.

How often we underestimate the power of one! There is a song I remember singing growing up, which contained the words, “though none go with me, I still will follow.” The reference is to following Jesus even if others don’t come with me, meaning it may be an unpopular choice and I may be alone in my decision. Jesus even said as much to those thinking about following Him –

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it.’ ” (Matthew 16:24-25)

You don’t get a lot of takers with that kind of an invitation. Consider what else Jesus said when He had this conversation with a would-be follower,

“Then a teacher of the law came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.’ ” (Matthew 8:19-20)

Again, not a big inducement to leave everything and follow Jesus. But Peter did. He left everything and followed Jesus. The power of one. Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18) Never underestimate the power of one.

The lone man facing the line of tanks in Tiananmen Square reminds me of another brave man who faced something and someone bigger than himself all alone. This is David facing down the giant Goliath, all by himself. The Israelites were afraid to fight their enemies, the Philistines. They lived in fear of them and were being conquered by them. No one would stand up to the giant Philistines. Then David volunteered for the job.

“David said to Saul, ‘Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; (Goliath) your servant will go and fight him.’ Saul replied, ‘You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.’ ” (1 Samuel 17:32-33)

Now Goliath was described as over nine feet tall and we are told that all in Israel were scared of him. “On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.” (1 Samuel 17:11)

But David went out to face the giant, Goliath, who had been terrorizing Israel, and David won! He killed Goliath and this gave the rest of the men in Israel’s army such courage that they then faced their invaders and conquered them, driving them from their land and setting themselves free from the harsh rule of the Philistines. It took one to stand up and face the enemy alone. Then others followed. Never underestimate the power of one.

The power of one can change the world. Martin Luther stood alone against the established church of his day and the world when he nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the Wittenburg church in 1517. One stood up to the accepted way of thinking at the time and the world was forever changed. Thus began the Protestant Reformation.

A few centuries later, another one would stand up to the prevailing powers of his day. And how fitting that this one should share the name of his predecessor, who, like him, sought to change the world for the better and often found himself standing alone in the struggle. World changing is most often a lonely business, requiring more courage than most believe they have within them. However, Martin Luther King, Jr. showed no shortage of courage as he stood face to face with the giant of the injustices of his day and sought to right what was wrong. Like the “tankman” from Tiananmen Square, he was killed for taking a stand for freedom for all. But his words cannot be silenced. His “I have a dream speech” lives on, encouraging each one of us today to judge each other by “the content of our character, not the color of our skin.”

The power of one. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy lives on. In Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, he said “the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here,” but how wrong he was! We still know the words of the Gettysburg Address to this day. I had to memorize them in fourth grade, we all did. It was a requirement. Why? Why do we need to remember? So that we don’t forget. Because when we forget what freedom is, what it feels like, what it looks like, what others did to secure it for us, we lose it. We let it slip silently away while we are busy pursuing other lesser things.

Lincoln stood alone in his time. He stood for freedom for all and he stood for preserving this country. The Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War resulted from these desires. Lincoln was killed by those who opposed the freedom and unity he wanted for this country. Still, his vision became reality over time. Not without great cost, however. Lincoln cautioned in his address,

“we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

That’s why we remember. So that we don’t forget the price that those who came before us paid to purchase the freedoms we enjoy today, even as we take them for granted and hold them so loosely that they slip through our fingers and eventually fall beyond our grasp. Then we will understand too late why the rest of the world risks their lives to come here. Those that come will then find a place so like the one they have left, they will wonder why they ever came here.

The pledge of allegiance, the National Anthem, the Fourth of July, the Lord’s Supper – we remember the cost and we celebrate our freedom and our forgiveness, respectively. We can’t celebrate if we don’t remember that we have something worth celebrating. These things also remind us that we have something worth fighting for, too. No wonder those that would take away our freedoms want memorials gone and history erased, lest we be inspired once again, by an image of a lone man facing down a tank, which causes us to remember the power of one and take a stand ourselves.

In every era, it seems, there has been an individual who would stand up and face down the giant. I am wondering today, in this post-truth time of censorship and suppression, who will be the truthtellers? Those who speak out today, quickly find that they are standing alone. But if history is any judge, the power of one should not be underestimated. I hope I have the courage that Isaiah did in this conversation,

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I (Isaiah) said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ ” (Isaiah 6:8)

We all face giants that challenge us in our daily lives. Perhaps by standing up for what is right and what is true, even at our own peril, we will inspire someone else to stand up, as well. I can’t wait for another Tankman or another Martin Luther King Jr. to come along before I decide to stand up and speak out. The time is now. The power of one to change the world for the better is mine and is yours, dear reader, today and every day. I don’t want fear to stop me from standing up for what is right or from speaking truth even when it puts me in danger.

The power of one to change the world cannot be underestimated.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

sincerely, Grace Day

Advent is ending. Well, technically not until January sixth according to some, but this season is drawing to a close. I like to think that Advent’s parting gift is the gift of a clean slate. This is something I desire more than anything else – a clean slate, a fresh start, a new beginning, a do-over, past offenses erased, no debt held against me, nothing holding me back. I can write on the slate whatever I want. There is nothing already written on this clean slate to prevent me from writing something new.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? At this point I should point out that this phrase “clean slate” refers to the slate chalkboards that were used in schools not all that long ago. They had to be wiped clean at the end of each school day so that new work and words of instruction could be written on the board for the next school day. Each school day started with a clean slate, so to speak. Yesterday’s mistakes were erased and forgotten. Every student started the day with a clean slate. (students often had individual slates in the 1800’s) Today, I prefer a white board and dry erase markers (no chalk dust), but the concept remains the same, whether it’s a blank white board or a clean slate.

Either way, it sounds too good to be true. How can I ever be free of my past mistakes and hurts and offenses – both those against me and those I have done to others? A clean slate seems an impossible, unattainable, highly unlikely gift to receive for Christmas or for New Year’s or for any time of the year, for that matter. I can’t wipe my own slate clean and others don’t seem willing to or aren’t able to grant me a clean slate either. And so my slate remains full of past regrets and offenses, while continuing to accumulate more and more as time passes. As long as my slate remains full of past mistakes, full of yesterday’s issues, there is no room for me to write anything new on it today.

I so want to receive this last gift of Advent, the gift of a clean slate. But how? I recall these words from Isaiah,

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

That kind of sounds like the promise of a clean slate to me. How about you, dear readers? King David was someone who desperately wanted a clean slate, a do-over, a second chance. He knew where to go to ask for this gift. David knew there was only One who could give him this miracle of a clean slate. And that’s exactly what a clean slate is, dear readers, it is nothing short of a miracle. David cried out to God,

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. . . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. . . . Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:1-10)

As it turns out, the miraculous gift of a clean heart and of a clean slate are gifts God desires to give to anyone who would draw near to Him and ask, simply ask. Consider what God’s word says,

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19)

” ‘I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. . . . they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord. ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’ ” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:10-14)

This is all such good news! The gift of a clean slate is mine for the asking from my Heavenly Father. In fact in Isaiah I read,

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (Isaiah 30:18)

There’s that word compassion again. It seems that compassion is the eraser necessary to wipe away all my offenses, all my sin and leave me with a clean slate, ready to begin again. Romans 8:1-2 reassures me saying,

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

No condemnation – that is the gift the clean slate gives. My Heavenly Father has given me the gift of a clean slate. And just like the school chalkboards, I receive this gift new every morning.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

I am so grateful and glad that my Heavenly Father is a God of second chances, of multiple do-overs, of infinite mercy and forgiveness towards me, no matter how dirty my slate gets. It is God’s mercy and forgiveness that washes it clean every morning, every time I bring it to Him and ask, just like David did when he cried out, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.”

Today I am thinking, since God does this for me – forgives my offenses against Him, does not hold them against me but forgets them and gives me another chance, shouldn’t I be offering this gift of a clean slate to others, to those who have hurt me or trespassed against me? If God keeps no record of wrong, why should I? As God grants each of us clean slates, shouldn’t we be doing this for each other on a daily basis? When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother, Jesus answered him,

“I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22)

This number was a reference to infinity, meaning there was no limit on the number of times forgiveness could be given. God is merciful to me without limit. Since God’s supply of mercy to me is infinite, I can be merciful towards others without fear of running out. As we read, “His mercies are new every morning.”

So Happy New Year world! The Creator of the universe, who gives me my clean slate, wants to give you a clean slate too! My Heavenly Father is offering you, you sad and troubled world, and every single person living in you, this gift of a clean slate – a new beginning, a fresh start, a do-over, a second chance, forgiveness of your sins and reconciliation with Him. This gift is yours for the asking.

My gift to you today world, is what I have received from my Heavenly Father – a clean slate. I will not hold your offenses against you, but will give you the second chance that I so desire for myself. Just imagine – if we all gave the gift of clean slates to each other, how different would this world be? No longer the world of the offended, the aggrieved, the angry, the vengeful – but a world where compassion, mercy and forgiveness wash all these wrongs away and peace prevails.

perhaps the gifts of a clean slate are peace and hope – and what better gifts to give the world than peace and hope on this New Year’s Day?

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. . . . In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! (hope) I have overcome the world.” (John 14:27 & John 16:33)

wishing you the gift of a clean slate complete with peace and hope,

sincerely, Grace Day