“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”  (Genesis 1:3)

Moses spoke to the Israelites saying, ” ‘ Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.  They are not just idle words for you – they are your life.’ ” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47)

“My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.”  (Proverbs 4:20-22)

“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”  (Matthew 4:4)

Jesus said, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63)

I’m seeing a pattern here, a pattern of words as nourishment, nourishment for our souls.  God’s words are life to us; they are life giving, life changing, life sustaining, power-packed words, every one of them.

The writer of Hebrews summed it up best when he said, “For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  (Hebrews 4:12)

There is power in this living word to convict me, to change me, to sustain me, to fill me full of wisdom and joy, to empower me to live the life that God has called me to live. This living word is eternal.  “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  (John 1:1)

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”  (Isaiah 40:8)

Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” (Luke 21:33)

I want these living words living in my heart.  I will proclaim along with King David what he wrote in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”

sincerely,    Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

I must confess to you, dear readers, that I have never been on a quest before – well never officially or on purpose anyway. nothing that I’ve signed up for or prepared for, or trained for in anticipation of participating in this thing called a quest.  The notion of a quest implies something of great purpose, a noble, worthy, cause to pursue something of great value at great personal expense, a journey both dangerous and exciting.

And yet without my noticing, I find myself embarked upon a quest of sorts these past few days for the commonest of objects (or so I thought until my search began). It started without preparation or planning, I simply sought to purchase the needed item when I was at one of those large stores that has everything from food to clothes to household stuff to electronics to hygiene to cleaning supplies. I mean there is nothing these stores don’t stock, except the item I wanted to purchase.

So my first revelation was that this item is no longer common place or easy to find. This new knowledge has turned my casual search into a full blown quest.  Scarcity has a way of making an item more desirable if not more valuable.  My quest now involves going from store to store in search of this elusive item.  Not exactly scaling mountains to find the object of my desire, but driving in crazy, city traffic might just qualify as daringly dangerous.  Certainly my persistence in continuing to seek out this item even though I am met with defeat (a no, we don’t carry that) at each store, should count for something, right?

And so my quest continues, leaving me discouraged and defeated because I cannot find and purchase the object of my quest, the item I desire to obtain and possess, the thing I have determined that I need, that I must have and cannot believe that it no longer exists. (except in memory of days gone by)  It is sad but true, my quest for the ever elusive recipe card has ended in failure.  The irony of this failed quest is that I, myself, am not a cook. (so I don’t need recipes, therefore I don’t need recipe cards) I sought these for a friend.

Questions from the quest abound.  Why has this once common household item vanished from store shelves? (was there a conspiracy or collusion?)  Do people no longer cook?  Or do they pull up recipes on their phone, eliminating the need to have them written on a recipe card?  Or with all the cooking shows available now are people just “winging it” rather than following a recipe?  Then there’s eating out or having premade dinners delivered, (like Nutrisystem or Weight Watchers) again no need for a recipe.

I have actually experienced the loss of other unrelated products that I have used. They just mysteriously disappear without notice from store shelves, giving way to other brands and other products in their place.  Some things just cannot be found, that once could be found, no matter how long or how diligently I look for them. So this is not my first unsuccessful search in life.

Sometimes I feel like that with God.  I have felt His Presence, known His comfort and His mercy and then I look for Him again and feel like He’s not there.  I feel the need to search for Him, to find what I once possessed.  It’s then that these words are particularly reassuring to me.  ” ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord”

This is the reassurance that I long for.  My quest to find God will not end in defeat but in victory.  I have His word on that!  He will be found by me if I am seeking Him.  When I am experiencing hardship or difficulty of any kind I am likely to feel more keenly my desire to “find” God and to know that He is with me.

These words in Isaiah 46:1 remind me that, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  He is ever-present, I don’t have to go on a quest and search hi and low for Him.  When my pain in this life is great I can know that, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  (Psalm 34:18)  God is present with me, He is close; my quest to know Him will not prove fruitless.  God will never disappear.  ” ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’ ”  (Revelation 1:8)  ” . . .  from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” (Psalm 90:2)  God will not simply cease to exist, like the recipe cards I sought apparently did.

God will not become unavailable or impossible to find.  On the contrary ” . . . He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.   . . .   the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”  (Psalm 121:3-4 & 8)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”  (Matthew 7:7-8)

“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  (Jeremiah 33:3)

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.”  (Psalm 34:4)

My quest to find God will not end like my quest for the no longer existent recipe cards.  Not only did God promise that He would be found but He actually is on His own quest seeking my heart!  “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.”  (Revelation 3:20)

I may be the seeker but I am also the sought after!  (see post “the pursued”)

my quest for my Creator is a quest that will end well!

sincerely,      Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord,

open my ears, my eyes, my mind, my heart, my spirit to You –  to hear what You would speak, to see what You would show me, to learn what You would teach me, to believe all that You are, Your truth, and to receive Your presence, Your Holy Spirit.

open my hands, that I would not hold on so tightly to the things of this world with my fists clenched, closed to everything and to everyone, mirroring my heart – admitting no one –

open my hands, lay them out empty, with nothing to offer up, nothing to give in exchange, no longer full of my dreams and my plans, no longer full of self, palms toward heaven, ready to receive what You want to fill them with.  You alone are the Giver of every good gift.

and grant that I would be grateful for what You give, not wanting something more or something different as Eve did in the garden so long ago, but that I would be content because I trust in Your goodness and Your grace towards me, knowing that

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  (James 1:17)

“In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:  ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.  For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ ”  (Matthew 13:14-15)

I don’t want to be like the people Isaiah talked about Lord.  I cry out along with King David,  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”  (Psalm 51:10)

and God says to me, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.    . . .   you will be (Mine) My people, and I will be your God.  I will save you from all your uncleanness.”  (Ezekiel 36:26-29)

and I answer “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.  Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.”  (Psalm 119:18 & Psalm 86:11)

sincerely,       Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the line wasn’t that long but it was not moving so I was both bored and in a hurry at the same time.  (but I often operate in “hurry mode” so that’s nothing new) lacking a magazine display to catch my eye and help me to pass the time by reading the headlines, I eventually noticed a brightly lit screen at the counter near the register, advertising the lottery.  Pictures and words flashed as the screen displayed ads for different jackpots, rotating through a sequence of ads and then starting over again.

It was at this point that one particular lottery ticket ad caught my attention.  It displayed the amount to be won, odds of winning, number of winners at this location in the past etc.  It all looked so glamorous and exciting.  It all looked so possible.  And there in the middle of the screen, in big, bright, bold letters were these words,  “Gamble Responsibly – Gamblers’ Addiction Hotline ___ ___ ____.”

So there it was.  The very same neon sign that was inviting, encouraging, yes even enticing me to buy some lottery tickets, (to gamble)  was also providing me the number to call to get some help should my gambling become an addiction.  The cause and the cure together on the same sign.  How convenient!  How thoughtful of the lottery people!  Were they in essence saying, “we know this might ruin your life even though it looks like fun now, so we want you to call this number, not us, when your life falls apart and you are bankrupt.”

This contradiction stuck with me as I left the store.  The same slick, shiny ad that promised me a chance at a richer, brighter future also predicted that I might need the help of a hotline if I purchased their product and oh so thoughtfully provided me with the number they knew I would eventually need.

“Gamble Responsibly” is an inherent contradiction.  Gambling by definition is taking a chance, risking something in the hope of gaining something more.  It is risky behavior, which is why people find it so exciting.  Risky behavior is the opposite of responsible behavior, so by definition there is no such thing as “responsible gambling.”  If there were, it wouldn’t be gambling, it would be a routine purchase of a sure thing.  If I am gambling, I am taking a risk – whether a small one or a big one – but a risk nonetheless;  so I am not being responsible.  I can’t be both responsible and risky at the same time.  This is the contradiction that leads to my conviction.

Life is full of contradictions.  I am full of them myself I realize as I eat my high calorie dessert and drink my diet, zero calorie soda.  So much for consistency.  I stand corrected, convicted by the contradiction of my own actions.

And that’s not the only contradiction that convicts me.  Luke 6:46 asks the question of me, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”  I live out that contradiction in my life all too often.  If I say that Jesus is the Lord of my life, then I must do things His way rather than relying on my way, which is often self serving instead of serving others.  I can’t say that Jesus is Lord of my life and then refuse to follow His directions, but instead “lean on my own understanding.”

There is no escaping the contradiction of the following words; “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  And He has given us this command:  Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”  (1 John 4:20-21)

The contradiction of someone claiming to love God but hating the people around them, is quite convicting.  Just as I can’t gamble responsibly because that’s an impossibility, I can’t love God and hate other people at the same time.  It is an impossible contradiction that convicts me to my core every time I find myself attempting to do just that. The conviction is that I am a liar.  I am a liar if I am saying I love God and then living in a way that is not loving towards others.  I can’t live in a way that does not support my claim of loving God.

The contradiction of words versus deeds is always very convicting.  There are these words in James 2:14-17, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?”

The contradictions in the following words of 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, are also very convicting.  “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.”

And finally Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”   A contradiction that convicts me every time.

sincerely,     Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

being a bridge may be the only job where lying down on the job is actually doing the job    

bridges provide connection,  that is their purpose –  some bridges are life saving connections.

Jesus is the Bridge, the life saving connection between God and me.  Jesus is my living bridge.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ”  (John 14:6)

Jesus laid down in order to fulfill that purpose, His purpose, in coming here.  What He laid down was His life.

“The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.  This command I received from My Father.”  (John 10:17-18)

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  (John 15:13)

If I am to be a bridge for my friends, then I am going to have to learn to lay down my life over and over again, because every time I “stand up for myself” I am no longer providing a connection that someone needs in that moment to walk across on their journey toward Jesus.  Jesus is the ultimate life saving Bridge,  He who provides safe passage for each one who walks across Him, who laid down His life for us all, straight into the arms of our waiting Heavenly Father.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  (Mark 10:43)

sincerely,         Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it is said that the eyes are the windows of the soul.  well, what about hands? seemingly ordinary, our hands play such extraordinary roles in our everyday lives, that I and maybe you, too dear readers, take for granted.  Our hands are symbols of hard work, of help, of healing, of hope and more.

Hands are in every facet of our vocabulary.  We talk about lending a hand, handing something or someone over, we each have given and have received at one time or another –  a hand me down, a hand out, a hand up or a hand off. (well, okay that last one maybe only if you play football do you receive a “hand off”)  At school the students receive “hand-outs” and are asked to “hand in” their work, which will be “handed back” at a later date.  We say someone “had a hand in it”, (could refer to a good or a bad deed) if they contributed to the outcome of something.  I may ask someone to “hand it over” or to “give me a hand”.

We say someone is “hands on” if they are involved and participate personally. Even a clock has “hands”, maybe that’s why we talk about “the hands of time”? Criminals get “handcuffed” and a person will say their “hands are tied” if they feel there is no action they can take in a particular situation.

Hands have a language all their own.  (both literally and figuratively)  In greeting, we shake hands or high five with our hands or anything in between.  We wave hello and goodbye with our hands.  To show respect there’s the hand in military salute, the hand placed over the heart in pledge or the hand placed on the Bible (with the other hand raised) in promise to tell the truth.

We say someone is “handy” if they are good at something, particularly at fixing things.  We say someone is a “handful” if they are hard to “handle”.  We say someone is “hand picked” if they are personally chosen for some particular position or opportunity.  And “hand made” is now back in vogue; considered special, unique and more valuable than something that is mass produced or “store-bought”.

We take someone by the hand to lead them, place our hand over their hand to guide or teach them.  We extend the hand of friendship, lend a helping hand, raise holy hands to heaven.  We join hands in unity with others, we clap hands in applause, showing our approval and support.  We raise our hand to ask a question, to be heard.  A “show of hands” determines the outcome of a proposal.  If something or someone wins by a large margin, we say they won “hands down”.

Hands even have their own language, sign language, or more correctly, ASL, (American Sign Language) which is a language in its own right, with its own rules of syntax and grammar.  Here the hands do the talking in beautiful, expressive motions which speak as eloquently as any tongue could, if not more so.  And even those of us who don’t know sign language often “talk with our hands.”

Hands reveal a lot about the person they belong to.  Strong, hard, rough, calloused hands reveal someone who works hard with their hands day in and day out. Softer hands may point to a softer kind of work.  Many hands are adorned with rings and fancy nails, while others remain plain and inconspicuous.

Also interesting are the games we play exclusively with our hands.  Think about thumb wrestling, charades, and the classic game of rock, paper, scissors.  All hand games.  We say someone has a “hot hand” if they are shooting well in a basketball game.  (or is that poker where you have a “hot hand”?)

Allstate tells me I am in “good hands” with them.  I would like to believe that and be at peace.  But I wonder   . . .   in whose hands do I really want to rest?  mine? (taking matters into my own hands)  those of some well known leader or celebrity? those of my financial adviser?

God says “It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it.  My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.”  (Isaiah 45:12)

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.”  “No one can deliver out of My hand.  When I act, who can reverse it?”  (Isaiah 42:6 & 43:13)

If the Creator of the universe says He will hold my hand, I think I will take Him up on that offer.  It’s the best one I’ve received.  (no offense to you, Allstate)  These are the hands I want holding onto mine.  Jesus hands, the hands that healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, fed the five thousand; hands that washed the feet of His disciples and then were nailed to the cross,  these, these are the hands that I want to hold onto.  These are the hands I want holding onto me.

“But he (Thomas) said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were,  . . .  I will not believe it.’  Jesus came and stood among them and said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see My hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.’ ”  (John 20:25-27)

Thomas saw the nail pierced hands of Jesus and believed.  Jesus’ hands told him everything he needed to know.  The same hands that formed man from the dust of the ground, that formed the woman from the rib of the man, the hands that made Adam and Eve garments of skin to clothe them when they were naked, these are the very hands that were nailed to the cross in my place and in your place.  These are the hands I want holding me.

My Heavenly Father says to me, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”  (Isaiah 41:13)

The song says, “He’s got the whole world in His hands”.   John 10:28-30 tells me, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one  can snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

In my Father’s hands are help, healing, hope and heaven.  No better place to be!

sincerely,          Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always seem to be in pursuit – of – ?  of what?  well, of so many things actually.  (no wonder I’m so tired)  I confess.  I am now or have been at any given point in my life in pursuit of (in no particular, rather very random order) the perfect job, a specific job, a place to live, the perfect shoes, friendship, the right guy, lasting love, the easiest diet, the best pizza, the secret to success, the best workout routine, the truth (about anything), a good plumber, an honest financial adviser, the best sale/deal on anything, excellence, a college degree, happiness, my lost keys, jeans that fit right, the perfect hair color, the perfect hair cut, the matching sock, my other earring, an affordable airfare, someone who understands me, a reliable car, the best restaurant, love, acceptance, forgiveness, reconciliation, God – and this list is not complete by any means.

Suffice it to say, I am living in pursuit mode.  I spend my time seeking after, yes, searching for and running after –  well, you saw the list.    Whether things tangible or intangible, things to be attained or things lost, needing to be found, my pursuit is in progress.

It is no wonder that I never knew I was being pursued all this time.  How did I not know this?  I guess I’ve always been so busy chasing after, yes pursuing, all these aforementioned things and more, that I never looked back to see who might be pursuing me.  Why would I?  It never occurred to me that I was worth pursuing. Who would go to that kind of trouble on my account?

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”  (Jeremiah 31:3)  God loves me?  God is pursuing me?  God is drawing me to Him?

“Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Where can I flee from Your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.”  (Psalm 139:7-10)

There is no place that I can run to where God will not be right there with me.  His pursuit of me knows no boundaries, no limits.  As diligently as I’ve been pursuing all my various “pursuits”, God has been equally diligent in patiently pursuing me even while I pursue the pleasures and the profits of this world.  And all this time I thought I was pursuing God.  Turns out, it’s God who’s been pursuing me all along. I just needed to stop and to be still.

“Be still, and know that I am God;”  (Psalm 46:10)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  . . .  Who of you by worrying (I would add by pursuing) can add a single hour to his life?  . . .  For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 6:25-34)

I would much prefer to be the “pursuee” than the “pursuer”.  Turns out I have been the pursued all along.  But I was much too busy pursuing to let myself be “caught” by the One pursuing me with an everlasting love for me that I cannot fully understand nor explain.

” ‘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)

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”  (Luke 19:10)  Jesus came to pursue lost people like me and to give me forgiveness and eternal life.

“This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  (1 John 4:10)  God is the pursuer!  I am the pursued!  Which means I must have some value in God’s eyes for Him to go to such great lengths to get my attention and to make a way for me to be reconciled to Him. Such great lengths as to send His Son, Jesus to live here with us, then die to pay the price for my sins, then rise from the grave, defeating death once for all. Leaving nothing for me to do but to believe in His name, accept what He did for me and stop trying to earn my own way to God.

I thought I was pursuing God.  But God’s been pursuing me since before time began.  “All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”  (Psalm 139:16)

And God is still pursuing me today.  Even now He calls to me, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28-30)

Yes, my Heavenly Father is pursuing me.  That means I can cease and desist, I can take a break from all my earthly pursuits and rest secure and satisfied in Him.  I may never find the perfect pair of shoes or of jeans.  That pursuit is elusive and unsatisfying.  I can give up all my personal pursuits.

I AM THE PURSUED!  (which means I am valued, I am loved and I am cherished by my Creator)  I am the pursued and I have been found!  You too, dear readers, are THE PURSUED!  I pray that you are found as well.

“Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; He to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood.”  (hymn – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing)

sincerely,            Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

earth is heaven’s waiting room, or more accurately eternity’s waiting room and we are all in it.  We are all waiting.  “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.  . . .  in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  . . .  we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”  (Romans 8:19-23)

Since I am waiting, along with the rest of creation, for Christ’s return, that time when He will make all things new and right; I feel like I need to be prepared to meet my Maker. I want to wait well, to get really good at it.  why? because my eternal destiny depends on the decisions I make in this waiting room we call earth.

I used to think of waiting as being idle, but now I realize waiting can be whatever I choose to make of it.  I want my time in this waiting room to be purposeful, productive preparation for what is to come.  When my number or name is finally called, I want to be ready, fully prepared.

I want to hear the words “well done, good and faithful servant” not “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness”.  To that end I take to heart Paul’s advice to Timothy when he said, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  (2 Timothy 2:15)

What better way to spend my “waiting” time here than to be about my Heavenly Father’s business?  “And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6:8)  “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  (James 1:27)

What better way to spend my time here, than to spend it getting to know my Creator?  “Be still, and know that I am God;”  (Psalm 46:10)  “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  (Matthew 11:29)

Jesus modeled this “preparing while waiting” as He lived His life here on earth, preparing Himself and His disciples for His death and resurrection in everything He did.  As a young boy Jesus said to His parents, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”  (Luke 2:49)

That’s how I will spend my “waiting room” time –  being about my Heavenly Father’s business.

sincerely,     Grace Day

 

I thought I was . . .  my feet were on the yellow footprints, my arms raised above my head in the pose of surrender, as if I had been a fugitive on the run and now was giving up the chase.  How long was I going to have to stand here like this?  My bags would be through the conveyor belt by now and waiting for me to retrieve them. Still I stood as voices swirled around me but no one was talking to me, telling me it was okay to move on.  How long were they going to keep me in here?

I thought I heard someone say “okay” as the clear cylinder door slid around me.  I turned my head in that direction, the door opened and I exited.  I didn’t get very far.  A couple of steps and a female guard blocked my path.  She was telling me that she was going to search me and explaining how it would be done.  I was hearing her words but they weren’t yet registering with me.  Why?  What was the problem?  No beepers had gone off.  Why did she need to search me?

I worried about my bags and my boots that I needed to find.  I had left them on the conveyor belt to go through security.  Who knew where they were by now?  This place was packed with people trying to get where they wanted to go.  I was one of them.  I didn’t have time for this unexpected experience and the delay it was causing me.

I had to spread my legs and hold my arms out at my sides.  Then she began her search of me, her slow, methodical search.  I was so uncomfortable.  I felt so exposed even though fully clothed.  This was a perfect stranger coming in closer contact with me than friends and family members do.  Something about this just isn’t right.  And yet here I was.  As the search continued I grew more uneasy, felt more vulnerable, more unprotected, more exposed than ever.  There was nothing I could do but submit to this search made necessary by  . . . ?

By what?  The past harmful actions of others, in other times, at other airports? Yes, this was for the greater good, I reassured myself; all the while wanting desperately for this to be over.  I felt like I had done something wrong, I felt like a criminal.  I felt like they didn’t trust me,  . . .  and it wasn’t over yet.

After she was done with me she sent me to another person who searched my backpack.  Finding some granola bars, raisins and tangerines among the books and a jacket that were in there, I was admonished that I should have taken the food snacks out of the backpack.  Then finally, I was cleared to fly.  I found my boots (which I had taken off to go through security) and was on my way.

I did not like this experience of being searched, of being treated with suspicion and mistrust.  Although no fault had been found in me (or on me) I did not feel vindicated; I felt diminished, I felt humiliated, I felt exposed.

Then I thought of King David and his request of God in Psalm 139:23-24)  “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  other translations say, “And see if there be any wicked way in me,” and other translations simply say “know my thoughts” (not just the anxious ones).  But you get the picture, King David wasn’t afraid of a search, not if God was doing the searching.

In fact, based on his words, David invited God to search him, he welcomed this opportunity with God.  Why?  Maybe because David knew these truths; “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.”  (Proverbs 3:11-12)

David realized, “The Lord knows the thoughts of man; He knows that they are futile.  Blessed is the man You discipline, O Lord, the man You teach from Your law;”  (Psalm 94:11-12)  David also knew that, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”  (Hebrews 4:13)

So God didn’t really need David’s invitation to search him.  God sees all and knows all anyway.  “O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts,” David acknowledged in Psalm 7:9, that God does search our minds and our hearts.  God doesn’t need our invitation or our consent to do so, it is simply a function of His Omnipresence and of His Omniscience.  He is an all seeing, an all knowing God.

And yet David invited God, he actually summoned God, seemingly entreated God to search him, to test him, to know him and to see or to find any wickedness or offensiveness in him that did not please God and then he asked God to root it out, to correct it; so that he could be “led in the way of life everlasting.”  (Psalm 139:23-24)

I did everything possible to avoid being searched at the airport, I followed all the rules, hoping that would be enough to spare me from being searched.  But David literally cried out to God, “Search me . . .  test me . . . “.  Mine was an external search made by men; my mind and heart were not exposed for all to see and judge.  David was seeking out the search of his inmost self, but he was entrusting himself to God not to men.

In fact David said in 1 Chronicles 21:13, ” . . . I am in deep distress.  Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”  Maybe that’s why I was so nervous, I was in the hands of men. (well, a woman, but you know what I mean)

I did not like being searched.  It’s nobody else’s business what’s in my backpack. But like David, I need my Heavenly Father to be continually searching my mind and my heart so that He can bring to light all that is hurting, hindering and harming me in my relationship with Him and in my relationships with others. Only God can find and remove from me that which offends Him, thereby making my load lighter and my spirit freer.  I want to say with David, “Search me, O God, see if there be any wicked way in me.”

And unlike the airport search, with God searching me, I have nothing to fear.  His mercy and forgiveness are great as is His compassion toward me.  His searching of me is for my own good, to train me and to teach me.  God’s search of me will reveal the contraband I am carrying in my mind/thoughts and in my heart, that He will take from me so that I am free to continue on my journey to eternity with Him unencumbered by the contraband I carried without need.

“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”  (Jeremiah 17:10)

yes, search me Lord.  and not only that but, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  (Psalm 51:10)

sincerely,     Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is a problem because that is its’ sole purpose, its’ only function – to keep the time, to display the time, to tell me what the correct time is.  a very simple, single minded job description.  no other job responsibilities involved – just tell me the time, the correct time.  but my clock doesn’t know what time it is, and hasn’t for the last four weeks!

Now there is a reason for this.  It’s called daylight savings time.  yes, my state falls back and springs forward, giving us an extra hour in the fall then, changing its’ mind and taking that hour back from us in the spring.  and not only that, but they have changed the weekend that this happens over time, it has not stayed the same.  This further confuses my clock which hangs on the wall in my family room, faithfully keeping the time or more truthfully sporadically losing track of the time.

Some might say my clock is broken or is haunted or is trying to trick me; but I know the truth – my clock is confused.  All this switching of the time back and forth and this switching the weekends that we switch the time, leaves my clock behind or ahead until it can figure out how to once again display the correct time. Usually this takes about four to five weeks, depending on when the change used to occur and when it took place this time.

If you are wondering why I don’t just set my clock straight by resetting it myself (which I have tried numerous times in the past) it is one of those self-regulating clocks that thinks it knows the time better than I do.  So no matter what time I set it to, it will revert to whatever time it thinks best.  My clock doesn’t care what I think, what I know, or what I want.

So what good is a clock that doesn’t tell the correct time?  (not much if you ask me, just taking up space on my wall)  Jesus asked a similar question when He said, “You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”  Jesus continued saying, “You are the light of the world.  . . . Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”  (Matthew 5:13-15)

Then I read these words in James, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but had no deeds?  . . .   You see that his  (Abraham’s) faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  . . .   As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”  (James 2:14, 22, 26)

Unsalty salt, hidden light, faith without actions;  these are like a clock that can’t tell time; like my crazy, confused clock.  Unable to fulfill their intended purpose; unsalty salt, hidden light and an inactive, unpracticed faith are of no use to anyone.  I may not always feel salty, shiny or faithful but that is my calling in Christ, even if I don’t always know what time it is.  (but that is my confused clock’s fault, not mine)  I am told to be salt, to let God’s light shine out and to live out my faith on a daily basis.

For me, faith must be a verb, not a noun.  Faith is expressed in acts of obedience and service to God and to others.  “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”  (James 2:17)

I don’t want to live life like my confused clock, not fulfilling my purpose for being. I find my identity and my purpose, not in who I am but in Who I belong to.  “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  (Ephesians 2:10)

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:16)

My clock may be confused, but I am not. My mandate is clear.  “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  (1 Corinthians 10:31)

sincerely,       Grace Day