bible

believing God for the unbelievable

Posted on by Grace Day

Abraham did. I want to do that too. But it’s hard – really hard sometimes. My problem is (well, ok I have lots of them, “them” being problems) but pertaining to this issue my problem is that I am walking/living by sight even though God’s word is clear – I am to walk by faith. And my sight isn’t all that great anymore anyhow, so walking by faith makes more sense than it ever has. BUT – walking by faith takes guts. Walking by faith takes unwavering courage when everything around you demands that you doubt what God has told you in His living Word to believe.

Such was the situation for Abraham. God called Abraham and made him a fantastical (is that a word?) promise. God asked Abraham to believe the unbelievable.

the call? –

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’ ” (Genesis 12:1)

the promise? –

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

the problem? –

“But Abram said, ‘O Sovereign Lord, what can You give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’ ” (Genesis 15:2-3)

You see the problem now, don’t you, dear readers? Abraham didn’t have any children. He had only one wife, Sarah, (in those days men often had multiple wives) and she was barren, which is to say, infertile. So they had no children and now they were both old, way beyond the childbearing years. And yet God had the audacity to tell Abraham this –

the promise repeated –

“Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.’ He (God) took him (Abraham) outside and said, ‘Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ ” (Genesis 15:4-5)

Just imagine it – a childless old man, Abraham, with an old and barren wife, being told that he was going to have a biological child with his wife and not only that (as if one child wouldn’t be miracle enough) BUT – also, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, which are too numerous to count! Unlikely? Unrealistic? Unbelievable? And yet Abraham believed God! Abraham believed despite the reality of his current circumstances. Abraham believed God for the unbelievable. How do I know this? I read Abraham’s response to God in Genesis 15:6 –

“Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.”

Abraham believed God for the unbelievable! And time went by. Still no children. Abraham was now ninety-nine years old. Things don’t seem to be moving in the right direction if his descendants are to be as numerous as the stars. BUT – God is faithful to fulfill His promises!

God’s covenant confirmed –

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty, walk before Me and be blameless. I will confirm My covenant between Me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.’ ” (Genesis 17:1-6)

What must Abraham have thought about God’s promise to make him “very fruitful” even though he and Sarah continued to remain childless? It just didn’t seem possible. And yet –

“God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’ ” (Genesis 17:15-16)

Abraham doubts –

“Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’ ” (Genesis 17:17)

God reassures –

“Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.’ ” (Genesis 17:19)

And so it happened just as God had promised –

“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.” (Genesis 21:1-3)

So, mission accomplished, right? Well, their son was a miraculous gift from God. However, one child seems like a long way off from the promise of descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Still, Abraham believed God even when his faith was put to another test only a few years later. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. God was testing Abraham’s trust and obedience. God’s request made no sense, given that Abraham’s descendants were supposed to be “as numerous as the stars” and Isaac was Abraham’s one and only descendant at this time.

But Abraham obeyed God and headed up the mountain with Isaac and wood for the fire. Abraham believed God in spite of his current situation and obeyed God’s instructions for the sacrifice of his only son, Isaac. It was then that an angel of the Lord intervened saying –

” ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.’ ” (Genesis 22:12)

then God repeats His promise to Abraham –

” ‘I swear by Myself,’ declares the Lord, ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed Me.’ ” (Genesis 22:

Abraham had God’s promise. He believed God for the unbelievable – descendants as numerous as the stars and the grains of sand even though he had only one child with Sarah, Isaac. One would think having many children would predict a better fulfillment of God’s promise, but Abraham trusted God to do the impossible. Fast forward several generations later – Isaac had twin sons, Essau and Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons and they all had families – Abraham’s descendants are increasing. They all ended up in Egypt because of a famine and we read this about them in Exodus –

“The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all;” – that’s when they arrived in Egypt. Next we read – “Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.” (Genesis 1:5,7)

The increasing numbers of Abraham’s descendants caused the current king of Egypt to fear them and so he enslaved them, oppressing them with forced labor. But Exodus 1:12-13 tells us what happened to the Israelites during the time they were slaves in Egypt.

“But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly.”

It looks like God’s promise to Abraham is coming true. Abraham’s descendants are becoming more numerous, even when conditions are less than good for them under Egyptian rule. The Israelites, Abraham’s descendants, would eventually leave Egypt, only to wander in the desert for forty years, before settling in their homeland. The number of Abraham’s descendants continued to increase through wars, through exile to Babylon, to the time of Christ’s birth and continues to grow to this day. God is still fulfilling His original promise to Abraham today.

Remember that God told Abraham – “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”? Well, that part of the promise was realized when Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the world was born. Jesus was born through Abraham’s line of descendants. That’s what God meant when He told Abraham that all people would be blessed through him. Through Abraham’s descendants, God’s blessing of a Redeemer for all mankind came.

I’m glad a childless old man, with an old and barren wife, believed God for the unbelievable – that his descendants would be too numerous to count and that all nations would be blessed because of him. Abraham not only believed BUT – “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him;” – he left his country, his people, his father’s household and followed God.

I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I want to believe God for the unbelievable things in my life that will happen when I, like Abraham, believe God for the unbelievable and take the action that God calls me to take. God’s call to Abraham was clear.

“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)

God’s call to me is no less clear today. I just need to turn the volume down on everything else, listen and respond. The number of Abraham’s descendants is continuing to grow larger day by day in fulfillment of God’s original promise to him. You and I have the opportunity to be part of that promise as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the grains of sand on the beach, because we know –

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

You and I are God’s heirs! We can believe God for the unbelievable! Like Abraham, I will not believe in my circumstances determining the outcome. I will believe instead in God’s promises, which are always true!

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

sincerely, Grace Day

controversial conversations

Posted on by Grace Day

A friend posed a question today that made me think. Those are the best kind of questions after all, the ones that don’t have an easy answer, the ones that require some thought on my part. So, this question was a “how do you know?” question. More specifically, it was “how do I know if I’ll go to or get into heaven?” My friend was saying that we can’t know until we face God on the judgement day what our eternal fate will be because we don’t know what God is going to say or to decide at that time. However, I found myself disagreeing with this premise. I do know my outcome. I do know how the conversation will go down for me on judgement day.

Which is an odd thing for me to say, because as I write this, I couldn’t tell you what I’m having for dinner tonight or anything else about how things will go for me for the rest of this day. I can’t predict what the weather will be, let alone any of the myriad things that could happen between now and say tomorrow. It’s not that I don’t have plans. It’s just that my plans constantly get interrupted or changed. People cancel on me or someone calls unexpectedly with an invitation. I feel fine, then I suddenly feel ill. My car breaks down. (I never plan for this to happen, my car does this all on its own, never giving me the courtesy of a heads up before it happens, so I can plan around the breakdown, the malfunction or whatever it is that leaves me without transportation)

So, if I can’t see even twenty-four hours into my earthly future, how can I be so sure about my eternal future? Maybe it’s because with my earthly future I see “through a glass darkly” but with my heavenly future, I am told “then I will see face to face.” But I think it’s more than that. I can be certain about my heavenly, eternal future because I am certain about the One to whom I have entrusted that future. I just admitted that I don’t know what’s going to happen in my life from one minute to the next, from one day to the next, let alone from year to year. I just don’t have that power of prediction. BUT – I have entrusted my life to Someone who does know these things, actually to Someone who knows ALL things, to Someone who is sovereign over ALL things. I have committed my life, both currently and in the future, to Someone I can trust – my Heavenly Father, God. These words from Isaiah affirm for me the wisdom of my decision –

“I am God, and there is no other; 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. I say: ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. . . . What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.’ ” (Isaiah 46:9-11)

Nothing takes God by surprise. He alone knows “the end from the beginning.” I can trust God because, as I read in Numbers –

“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?” (Numbers 23:19)

God doesn’t lie, which is good to know since I have some very specific promises from Him that I am counting on Him to keep. I am told –

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

These words give me hope as does this truth about God –

“if we are faithless, He (God) will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

I am really glad to know that no matter how many times I let God down, how many times I am faithless, God will remain faithful and true to all His promises. God will not let me down! I find great comfort, encouragement and hope in knowing I can count on my Heavenly Father’s faithfulness to me. He does not give up on me. I have this promise from His word which is true –

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

The reason I could say with confidence to my friend, “Yes, I do know what God will decide about my eternal future when I die.” is because I am not depending on myself for the outcome. I am depending on God. And God can be trusted! He keeps His promises. His promises are true!

If my eternal future depended on me, it would be most uncertain. BUT – because I have chosen to trust God with my future, it is certain. I can know the outcome! Paul too, had the assurance of his eternal outcome and shared the reason why in his letter to Timothy, where Paul stated –

“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

Interesting statement, right? Paul said nothing about himself or about his abilities to bring about a preferred outcome. Paul said it was “whom he had believed” aka Jesus Christ, who was holding his eternal future safe and secure, and that he, Paul, was convinced that Jesus alone “is able to guard what he had entrusted” – (what Paul had entrusted to God was himself, his very life) “for that day” – meaning his final judgement day.

This statement is even more surprising given that Paul was persecuted for his faith in Jesus, endured many hardships and was often put in prison for preaching the gospel. Paul’s earthly future was always uncertain. He would make plans to visit a church somewhere such as Corinth or Ephesus or even Rome, but before Paul had the chance to carry out his plans, he would be arrested and put in prison, leaving him unable to do what he had originally planned.

Paul didn’t have any confidence in his own ability to guarantee a certain outcome, BUT – Paul had every confidence in God’s ability to guarantee a certain outcome. Today the answer to my friend’s question is that I do know my eternal destiny. I don’t have to wait to find out what will happen to me. God’s word has already made it clear. I can say along with the apostle Paul –

“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

I may not be prepared, but my Heavenly Father is preparing me and will complete His good work in me in His perfect timing. He will even provide my wardrobe!

“For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, . . . I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.” (Isaiah 61:10)

I have confidence in my destiny because it doesn’t depend on me, it depends on God and God is dependable! God is faithful. I can trust Him today with my life. I can trust Him tomorrow. I can trust Him forever with my eternity.

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 4:18)

sincerely, Grace Day

what do I pray for?

Posted on by Grace Day

I’m sitting in an unfamiliar classroom today. Actually, for the last few days now if truth be told. Why is this noteworthy? Because I’ve worked as a substitute teacher in this large high school every day of this school year and pretty much every day for the past couple of school years – ever since reopening after covid, actually. So I’ve been in just about every classroom there is, including orchestra, gym, life skills, science, math, English, Spanish, art, history – if it’s a class, I’ve probably subbed for it at one time or another.

So why would this classroom be the exception? Well, I’m currently subbing for an exceptional teacher who has been here for years and almost never misses a day of school. (hence no need for a sub in this room until now) This math teacher has faithfully fulfilled his duties year after year and is currently the longest serving teacher in this building. That’s remarkable in and of itself, because inner city public high schools have a high rate of teacher burn out, leading to a high turn over rate for teachers.

By now you must have realized that something unforeseen, unplanned and unwelcome has happened in the life of this faithful teacher to cause his absence in the first place, let alone during the final weeks of the school year, which are so critical for the students who are taking exams and hoping to pass their classes, so they don’t have to repeat them next year. And you would be right. Something unexpected has come into this teacher’s life – the diagnosis of an aggressive cancer.

At present, he is in a fight for his very life. He is undergoing chemo treatments in hopes that the cancer can be eradicated, allowing him to return to his normal life. Maybe “normal” isn’t an adequate description of his life before cancer, or of anyone’s life for that matter. “Normal” is different for each one of us. Suffice it to say that the goal, the hope, the desire, is for him to be able to return to his “pre-cancer life.” That’s why cancer patients endure the hardship inflicted on their bodies by chemotherapy. They believe and hope that after their body is nearly destroyed in the process of killing the cancer, they will survive, their health will be restored, and they will take up again the life they were living before the appearance of this deadly disease.

To this end, many of us are praying for this teacher. We are praying for his recovery from this disease. We are praying for restoration of his health and for his life to continue for many years to come. We don’t know how to pray any differently. I admit, I don’t know what else to pray or how else to pray. BUT – these words of the apostle Paul give me pause and point me to a very different perspective. Paul says this –

“now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

now that’s a different perspective! Paul continues –

“If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!”

He doesn’t know? Are you kidding me? Isn’t it obvious? But Paul’s not done. He continues –

“I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.” (Philippians 1:20-26)

So there you have it. I guess I don’t have the apostle Paul’s perspective yet. Maybe one day I will. Paul says to die is gain and he says he “desires to depart and be with Christ.” Why? Because Paul says that’s “better by far.” Why don’t I feel that way? I’m pretty attached to life here on earth at the moment, even with all its sorrows, pains, losses, uncertainties, strife, hardships, illnesses, famines, wars, crime, all kinds of suffering – WOW! and that’s only a partial list! Yet I want to stay here for as long as possible? And not only myself, but when I am asked to pray for others who are ill, their request and my request on their behalf, is always to heal them and to prolong their life here on earth.

Why? Maybe it’s like what C.S. Lewis said about us – “It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.”

That’s me, I’m sure, with earth as my mud puddle and heaven the holiday at the sea that I am doing everything I can to avoid. I guess that’s because I truly can’t imagine what heaven will be like. It is the unknown. Earth is the known, the comfortable, even with all its troubles and trials. I read in 1 Corinthians this about what awaits me –

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)

You and I have God’s promise of something better, but still we hang on to what we have here now. Actually, when God created all this, it was good, very good. It was a perfect paradise, that is until Eve made her ill advised choice and everything went south. Still, there are echos of the eternal here on earth to this day. It’s like Thorton Wilder said in his play “Our Town” –

“We all know that something is eternal. . . . There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

But our attachment to the temporal is strong. Emily voices this in “Our Town” when she says –

“Good-bye world. Good-bye Grover’s Corners . . . Mama and Papa. Good-bye to clocks ticking . . . and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths. And sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you.”

And so it is, wonderful, that is. Even this fallen version of the original garden given to Adam and Eve is filled with the beauty of God’s creation everywhere we look. From sunrise to sunset, “the heavens declare the glory of God.” There are many God given joys here in this life, so it’s hard to fully understand that God is preparing something infinitely superior for us when we leave this earth. Our minds just can’t conceive of such a thing. So we pray to remain here at all costs.

What do I pray for? I find myself pleading with God for the physical healing of loved ones, family and friends who are ill, so that I and others that love them might have more time with them. Loss is painful. I don’t want to experience that pain. I don’t want to lose those I love to death. But as I pray for the temporal physical healings of those that ask me to pray for them, I am convicted to pray for more than just the physical. I am convinced I am to pray for their eternal spiritual healings with equal, if not more urgency.

Still, I find myself often conflicted as to how I should pray. It is then the story of the paralytic comes to mind, reminding me that “God is able to do more than I could ever ask for or imagine.” The paralytic simply wanted the physical healing that would allow him to walk again. But Jesus said to him, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees took issue with Jesus’s statement to the paralytic. Jesus responded by saying –

” ‘But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . .’ Then He said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man got up and went home” (Matthew 9:2, 5-7)

That day the paralytic received both a physical and a spiritual healing from Jesus. He had sought out Jesus desiring only to be set free from his paralysis. But Jesus wanted to give him so much more. Jesus set him free from his sin. It wasn’t either/or, it was both!

Today I know too many who are fighting cancer or other physical ailments that make their lives hard, painful and a challenge just to get through the day. How do I pray for those I love? What do I pray for? I naturally pray for their physical healing, assuming that we all prefer more time in our mud puddle to departing for our holiday at the sea.

As I pray for what I humanly desire, my Heavenly Father reassures me that in His perfect will, all outcomes are good for those “who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes.” The apostle Paul was on to something when he said that whether he remained here on earth or he died and went to be with God – either way was a win for him!

It’s just not a win for those of us who are left behind when our loved one dies. But knowing it is a win for them brings me comfort and gives me peace, joy and hope when I need it most – when I am mourning their loss. Or more aptly put, my loss of them, as they are not lost in the least but are found, now home in the place prepared just for them. Jesus confirmed this when He told His disciples –

“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)

Today, surrounded by so many people I know desiring a miracle healing, wanting prayer – what do I pray for? I will pray God’s will (not mine) because His will is “good, perfect and pleasing” always.

I will pray – asking my Heavenly Father – “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” And like Paul, I will know that either outcome is a good one. Because God is good.

“The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. . . . The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made.” (Psalm 145:9 & 17)

sincerely, Grace Day

HOA related PTSD – part two

Posted on by Grace Day

In my previous post I mentioned that I occasionally suffer from HOA inspired PTSD, usually triggered when I receive one of their “love letters” in the mail, which are always very formal and truly foreboding. My most recently received letter concerning an overgrowth of weeds in my turf, triggered memories of letters past, such as the one I received in the not so distant past (at least not distant enough to no longer be remembered) about my mailbox. Now my mailbox was and is regulation, meaning it meets HOA requirements, and was in good condition. The problem? The numbers and letters of my address on one side of the mailbox were somewhat faded by the sun and I guess this was unacceptable to my HOA.

This was a violation that needed to be corrected, hence the letter I received. I considered my options carefully. I could paint over the numbers and letters on the questionable side of the mailbox BUT what if the color didn’t match exactly the color on the other side? Would I receive another letter for noncompliance with mailbox rules? Ok, I could paint the letters and numbers on the other side of my mailbox at the same time, with the same color, so they would match, BUT what if this color didn’t match exactly the color on the mailboxes of my neighbors? Would I then get another foreboding love letter from my friendly HOA?

What to do? We are all required to purchase our mailboxes and the posts that hold them from the same vendor or company to ensure uniformity. There are no choices we have to make regarding color, shape, height of post, style of lettering and numbers, materials used, etc. There are no deviations allowed. Uniformity is key. My HOA obviously does not have a DEI officer on the board. I deduce this from the fact that there is no diversity, only uniformity when it comes to mailboxes and other rules such as no grass over four inches high, (see previous post) no dandelions etc.

Although, I must admit they are getting the equity part down pretty well. We purchase our mailboxes from the same place, getting the same thing. No upgrades or additions are allowed. All our mailboxes are the same and therefore they are all equal. No mailbox is fancier, prettier, or more interesting by virtue of being a different color or design or decorated differently so as to stand out from the other mailboxes. This effectively eliminates “mailbox envy syndrome” which, if left untreated, can lead to discord, unrest and potentially worse in the neighborhood.

So, my HOA is just looking out for me and my neighbors by eliminating sources of competition and envy among us before they can occur. I will have to find other ways of expressing my individuality, since I can’t do it through my mailbox choices. HOAs tend to favor compliance over creativity. No ostentatious yard displays of any kind permitted. Tasteful landscaping is preferred for all and HOA rules apply equally to everyone. (well, except in the case of my neighbor’s plentiful dandelions, as it appears they were not included in the “excessive weeds in turf” letters) I’m sure it was just an oversight because my HOA is nothing if not inclusive. I’m certain they did not mean to exclude my neighbors from the mailing of the “weed” letters. It was just an unfortunate oversight.

Sometimes my HOA related PTSD is worse than at other times. Usually triggered by the receipt of one of their “corrective” letters, it can then linger as I anticipate with dread when the next letter might come. It’s not good to live one’s life “waiting for the other shoe to drop” or for the next HOA letter to arrive. There’s got to be a better way or a better place. Well, maybe not in this life, but there is hope for a future free from PTSD of any kind. I read about this in Revelation where it is described in these words –

“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 sounds like a place where I want to live! No HOA needed. Nothing to cause me or anyone else “mailbox envy syndrome” or any form of PTSD. The grass probably just maintains itself at the proper, approved height. No warning letters need ever be sent out to the residents who dwell with God. And I don’t have to wonder if they’ll be a place for me when I get there. I have Jesus’s promise on this. He told His disciples –

“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)

This is great news! There is a place waiting for me in eternity. I will not be alone either. Jesus said specifically, “that you may be where I am.” And you know what I think? I bet my Heavenly Father will let me decorate my place that He is preparing just for me, any way I want. It won’t have to look like my neighbors’ places. There will be no HOA in heaven! No more vaguely threatening legal letters striking fear into my heart. There will be diversity of design and of decor!

Just by looking around at the infinite varieties of flowers or of trees or of birds or of animals in general, I can know that our Creator loves diversity and creativity and individuality. And since we are created in His image, we too naturally crave creativity, individuality and the diversity that naturally results from our individual, creative pursuits. And it’s an all inclusive place that’s being prepared for you and me, dear readers. No HOA rules or regulations to exclude us from our eternal residence in our eternal neighborhood. God’s invitation is open to all!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The place that is being prepared for me sounds like a really great place – a place where I am included, a place where I can be myself, the person God created me to be. Actually, I’ll be the best version of myself since God’s corrective and creative work in me will be completed when I move into my new place. Paul reminded the Philippians of this in his letter when he said –

“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

So my HOA related PTSD will no longer exist when I at last inherit and inhabit the place my Heavenly Father is preparing for me even now. I bet they don’t even have mailboxes there – no need for them. And I won’t have to worry about what will happen to me in fifteen days if my compliance with the current HOA letter’s concern is not complete. Beyond that, I truly can’t imagine just how good is the place my Heavenly Father is preparing for me, although I am given this heads up –

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

I can’t wait! BUT – in the meantime, you will be relieved to know that I did purchase a new mailbox, rather than attempt painting over the address on my current, perfectly good mailbox. Hopefully, I am now in good standing with my HOA, and I pray this continues. But one never knows when the next foreboding letter informing one of gross dereliction and of the resulting dire consequences will arrive in my now HOA compliant mailbox. Soon, just going to the mailbox will trigger my PTSD. BUT I have hope. I am looking forward to the fulfillment of this promise from God –

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” (Isaiah 65:17-19)

looking forward to my new address,

sincerely, Grace Day

HOAs – necessary foe or unwanted friend?

Posted on by Grace Day

The current sermon series at my church these past five weeks has been – “Weeds in my garden.” I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about the subject matter from this title. So is it simply coincidence or is it God’s sense of humor that during this time of weekly sermons about “weeds” I received a very official letter from my HOA about “weeds in my garden.” (well, more accurately, weeds in my yard)

Actually, all their letters are quite formal and official, always very grave and intimidating. There are no friendly or casual letters from my HOA, they don’t exist. HOAs don’t write to you just to let you know that they like what you’ve done with the place, or that they’ve noticed your new trim or bushes or whatever and just wanted to let you know how much they like it. They don’t write to tell you they’re glad you moved in, or to ask what they can do for you.

No, they only write when the circumstances are dire because you are in violation of some aspect of the covenant that you as a homeowner have with the HOA. There are many areas covered in this covenant, creating the possibility of receiving numerous foreboding letters detailing one’s dereliction in detail and outlining the required course of action one must now embark upon in a timely manner in order to avoid further such delightful correspondence from the HOA.

Just exactly what and how dire was my most recent dereliction? (yes, there have been other letters in the past) Well, in the words of the aforementioned thoroughly formal and foreboding correspondence – “Your turf contains excessive weed growth and is in need of treatment. . . . Compliance issue should be resolved within 15 days from the date of this letter.” Now they did sign my letter “Warm regards,” so I suppose that counts for something, right? They could have signed it “cool regards” or “cold regards” or “hostile regards” or even “no regards” – the last being the worst insult of all by virtue of the fact they extend to me no regards at all.

So this letter alerted me to my dire situation and impending doom – I had “turf containing excessive weed growth.” Translation – there are (actually were) a few dandelions in my yard. Apparently, dandelions on the premises is a dealbreaker, a violation of the sacred HOA covenant. My last lawn treatment must not have killed them all, hence the very formal and foreboding correspondence which I received.

You will be relieved to know, dear readers, that I called my lawn treatment provider in a very timely manner and scheduled an unscheduled additional treatment aimed at correcting this breach of my covenant with the HOA. I must confess, the letter did cause me a moment or two of PTSD, though. You see, last year about this time I received a similar letter from my HOA, also sent with the same “warm regards”, informing me that my grass was over four inches high and therefore in violation of HOA guidelines, or more accurately, HOA regulations.

This caused me to picture some anonymous, masked, hooded individual down on hands and knees in the dark of night, measuring my grass with a ruler. Or was this just an estimate of grass growth from a drive by observation? It seemed awfully precise, hence my visual of a ruler being used in the determination of whether or not an infraction or a breach of covenant had indeed occurred. So you can understand how this current letter caused me to experience a flashback to last year’s letter.

It does give one the feeling of being watched and not only of being watched but of being judged. In addition, this letter also caused me confusion because my neighbors, who had substantially more dandelions adorning their yard at the time I received said letter, did not receive such a letter. This could lead me to feelings of paranoia and anxiety as I anticipate future letters and feel unduly singled out. But perspective is everything. Perhaps the HOA is really my friend. After all, they are doing this for my own good and for the good of the community. I will be glad they “encouraged” me to keep up my property when I wish to sell my home and property values are good because they have held all of us accountable to the covenant we agreed to in the first place.

If I think of them as my foe, then they are a necessary foe, forcing me to be better, to hold myself to a higher standard. If I think of them as my friend, what they have to say may at times be unwanted input, something I don’t want to hear (a letter I don’t want to receive) but it is for my ultimate good and benefit. I can think of them as a friend who has my best interests at heart. They are looking out for me and when they see me going wrong or doing wrong (or in violation of our friend agreement in any way) they let me know via vaguely threatening legal letters. And in the end, I will be the better for it.

Parents discipline their children (though I doubt they send them formal and foreboding letters – they do it face to face). Likewise, I read in Hebrews –

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son. . . . For what son is not disciplined by his father? . . . Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:5-11)

and in Proverbs I read this –

“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)

Could it be my HOA loves me? Does my HOA delight in me? Were those very legal letters I’ve been getting actually love letters from my HOA? Who knew? Perhaps their regards really were “warm” after all, now that I realize they just have my best interests at heart. My HOA just wants my home property to be all that it can be.

From now on I will think of my HOA as benevolently watching over me, just like my Heavenly Father. And I know my Heavenly Father’s intentions towards me are always good because He is good and because He says so. I have His word on the matter.

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

hopefully my HOA feels the same way about me!?

sincerely, Grace Day

He is everything

Posted on by Grace Day

He is the lifter of my head.

“But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” (Psalm 3:3)

He is the holder of my hand.

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.” (Isaiah 42:6)

He is the bearer of my burdens.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” (Psalm 68:19)

He is the collector, the counter and the keeper of all my tears.

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.” (Psalm 56:8 NLT)

He is the watcher of my ways.

“the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8)

He is the fixer of my feast.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” (Psalm 23:5)

He is my light in the darkness of this world.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

“You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” (Psalm 18:28)

He is the forgiver of my sins and my healer.

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

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, . . . who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,” (Psalm 103:2-3)

He is the ordainer of my days.

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

He is my shelter in the storm.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. . . . He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:1 & 4)

He is my rescuer in times of trouble.

“”I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:1-2)

He is my provider.

“The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15-16)

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

He is my protector.

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:5)

“You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” (Psalm 32:7)

He sings me to sleep at night.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

He leads me in the right direction.

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

“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 comforts me in my sorrow.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

He is my one constant in this ever changing world.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

He is the One who loves me no matter what.

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

“for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

My Heavenly Father is all these things to me and so much more – He truly is everything to me.

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

sincerely, Grace Day

a curious connection

Posted on by Grace Day

Do you ever find yourself thinking random thoughts that don’t appear to be connected in any way and then later these thoughts connect themselves in curious ways that make perfect sense? – well at least to you, if not to anyone else. Such is often the case with me. Actually most of my thoughts are very random and unrelated, so when they connect themselves into something that reveals a new insight or a larger truth, it is always an exciting moment on my otherwise mundane journey of everyday random thoughts.

Such was the revelation my random thoughts revealed concerning the connection between the thief on the cross and the workers in the vineyard parable. You don’t see it? Well, I never did either, until now. You remember the workers in the vineyard parable, right? This was a story that never made sense to me. Actually, the outcome seemed obviously wrong because it appeared to me to be unfair to some of the workers involved. Let me explain or better yet, let Jesus tell you the story, just as He told it to His disciples –

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.” (Matthew 20:1-9)

Well, the story continues with all the workers getting paid a denarius, including those who were hired first and had worked a full day in the hot sun. Naturally they grumbled against the owner, because they felt this was unfair. The owner’s response?

“Friend I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:13-15)

So what does this have to do with the thief on the cross? You know, the one that was crucified on the cross right next to the one on which Jesus hung. Well, actually there were two men being crucified for their crimes that day along with Jesus, one on either side of Him. Their conversation in those final moments reveals everything about the condition of their hearts. Luke records for us that very eye-opening conversation which went as follows,

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: (Jesus) ‘Aren’t You the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.’ ” (Luke 23:39-42)

This is surely a surprising, even apparently non-sensical request for the criminal to make, considering that Jesus’s situation doesn’t appear to be any better than his own. They are both suffering the exact same fate at the moment, being crucified on crude wooden crosses while an angry and curious crowd of spectators watch and wait. Both are headed for identical outcomes of death, it would seem. And yet, this criminal dares to ask the impossible of Jesus, who at present, is hanging on a cross next to him. We can safely assume that this man has done more bad deeds than good ones in his life, but despite this, he cries out to Jesus with his last breath.

There can be only one reason why he would dare to do this, to make such a preposterous request. Unlike the criminal hanging on the other side of Jesus, who mocked and taunted Jesus with his last words, this thief believed Jesus to be exactly who He claimed to be. The only thing more unexpected and surprising than the criminal’s audacious death bed ask, is Jesus’s death bed answer to him.

“Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’ ” (Luke 23:43)

Jesus’s answer is surprising on every level. First of all, Jesus states that He will be in paradise. How is that possible? And then to promise this criminal that he also will get to go to paradise after the life of crime that he has apparently lived? This is unbelievable. This is preposterous even! But it is also true! Jesus is who He has always claimed to be – the Word become flesh to dwell among us – the promised Messiah – the Christ – the Son of the Living God – the Savior of the world – the Lamb of God and Lord of all.

Because Jesus is exactly who He said He was, He is able to do the impossible, which is exactly what the criminal on the cross beside Jesus asked of Him that day – to do the impossible, the unbelievable; to grant him the unmerited, the undeserved – forgiveness, redemption and eternal life. That’s a really big ask. Especially when it is directed at someone who appears to be in no position to grant such a request at the moment. BUT things are not always as they appear to be. The thief on the cross next to Jesus had faith. He believed Jesus was who He claimed to be and that Jesus could and would grant his request.

Fortunately for the thief on the cross, not only is Jesus able but that day, Jesus chose to show him mercy and grant his request. Jesus’s answer to him makes that clear. So what does the criminal on the cross have in common with the vineyard workers? – especially those hired on at the eleventh hour? It seems to me, they all had nothing to offer but everything to gain.

The criminal on the cross offered Jesus nothing in exchange for what he was asking of Jesus, but Jesus granted his request anyway. The criminal received what he did not deserve and could not earn. Those late hire vineyard workers received wages they hadn’t earned also. The owner extended them an invitation that was unlikely and unexpected at that late hour of the day when little time to work was left, but they accepted and went to his vineyard anyway, with little to offer the owner. But the owner rewarded them as if they had worked all day, from the very first hour. They had little to give but their gain was great.

I feel my own connection to the vineyard workers and to the criminal on the cross. I have nothing to offer Jesus but everything to gain when I accept His invitation to come work in His kingdom or I boldly request of Him what no one else has the power to give. Even though I have nothing to offer Him, Jesus stands ready to give me everything. Why would I not cry out – “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”?

Like the vineyard workers and the criminal on the cross, I am thankful that this is true of God –

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:10)

There is hope! Even in the most seemingly hopeless situation there is hope. The workers who had waited all day in vain to be hired ended up with a full day’s wages after receiving and accepting an unlikely, last minute invitation. The criminal hanging on the cross had the audacity to take Jesus at His word and to ask Jesus for what he did not deserve but longed to receive. Because he humbled himself and acknowledged the truth of who Jesus is, Jesus granted his impossible request.

The accounts of these people give me so much hope. I can always cry out to my Heavenly Father, even though I have nothing to offer Him but my need and my brokenness. He has everything to offer me and stands ready to do the impossible so that I might receive it. Indeed, in Isaiah I am told –

“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.” (Isaiah 30:18)

Like the criminal on the cross, I can believe despite what appears to be happening in this world at the moment, that the Christ on the cross will indeed “remember me when He comes into His kingdom.” I will have the faith to believe and to make my impossible request of Jesus. I have nothing to give to Him. He has everything to give to me. The criminal on the cross understood this even though he had never heard these words spoken by Jesus to His disciples –

“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)

Jesus remembers me, He will remember you too, dear readers – ask Him!

sincerely, Grace Day

in totality’s path

Posted on by Grace Day

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)

This certainly was the case just a few days ago here in my state. The heavens were indeed declaring the glory of God and it seemed as if all of humanity was turning out to witness this declaration, which took the form of a total solar eclipse. Yes, we were in the “path of totality” along with several other states, so we had free front row seats to this heavenly extravaganza, called an eclipse, without having to travel as so many others had to do. (my son traveled here all the way from California so that he could witness this eclipse in person from the “path of totality’s” perspective) All I needed to do was to walk outside and to look up. Which made me wonder, how often do I fail to witness God’s glory simply because I don’t take the time to look up?

However, on April 8th we were all looking up, gazing heavenward, with great anticipation and expectation. We were in the “path of totality” and because of this we had been forewarned of this epic event to occur overhead, right down to the month, day, hour and minute – so we were fully prepared to look up at the appointed time. And look up we did! We gathered together in our backyards, our front yards, our streets or in special venues around the city, such as the Motor Speedway or the state fairgrounds. We even had special glasses for just such a purpose as this – being able to look up and to behold this heavenly light show, this total solar eclipse.

I don’t know about other states in the desired path of totality, but we had perfect weather for our eclipse day. It was clear, sunny, warm and wonderful. No clouds were present to block our view of this rare magic moment. It was as if the weather knew people were pouring into our state from all over to witness this epic eclipse, so it did its part to welcome in the spectators by not blocking our view of the moon covering the sun for those four, glorious, mysterious, much anticipated minutes.

I know I just used the word “rare” to describe this eclipse event, but in doing some research I discovered there are actually anywhere from two to five total solar eclipses per year. Why had I never witnessed such an eclipse prior to this, if that is the case? Well, the most obvious reason is because these eclipses occur at various locations all over the globe. There was an eclipse in 2017 in the US, but my state was not in the “path of totality” for that one, so it didn’t get as much attention where I live. And full disclosure, I do now remember watching that one, which for us was a partial eclipse, from the same neighbor’s driveway, with many of the same people with whom I shared this week’s total eclipse experience.

There will be a total solar eclipse in October of this year in South America. We have the opportunity to send our eclipse viewing glasses to people there so they can safely watch the eclipse. A total solar eclipse in 2026 will pass over Iceland, Greenland, Portugal and northern Spain and one in 2027 will pass over northern Africa, but it will be 2044 before another total solar eclipse will occur with a “path of totality” that passes over any part of the US again and that path will only include three states, my state not being one of them. In 2045 another total solar eclipse will be visible from the US. Its path of totality will include fifteen different states, but again my state will not be among them.

Even though total solar eclipses are happening every year (at least two of them), because they occur in a multitude of different locations around the world, I am not able to witness them unless I purposely travel to a site where they are taking place. (some people do just this, eclipse chasers, like storm chasers, travel the world as they follow the “paths of totality” of various solar eclipses)

So while total solar eclipses are taking place with regularity and with predictability around the world, for me, this particular total solar eclipse of April 8th, 2024, was rare and special. It was an exciting opportunity that came to my state, to my city, to my neighborhood, to my street – one that came literally to my own front yard/backyard. All I had to do was to walk outside my own front door and to look up – to take the time to notice what God was doing in the heavens. (He’s always doing something – “day after day they (the heavens) pour forth speech” – I’m just not always looking or listening)

I’m glad I experienced the gift of this opportunity to watch firsthand with friends the wonder of this eclipse, because the next total solar eclipse that will come to me, that is, that will come to my state, will be in 2099. And actually, that eclipse’s “path of totality” does not even include my city, as it will only include the very northeastern most part of my state. It will not be until 2153 that another total solar eclipse will come to my state. The good news is, this one will have a “path of totality” that includes my city! That’s only a wait of 129 years! I say “only” because on average, for a total solar eclipse to come again to the same spot or location on the earth, it takes 375 years.

Since humans don’t live 375 years and not even 129 years usually, viewing this total solar eclipse from the front row seat of my own yard, truly is a once in a lifetime experience. And it will remain that way unless I decide to become an eclipse chaser, traveling to where the total solar eclipses are happening each year, spending my days perpetually pursuing the “path of totality” for each new eclipse. But this time the eclipse came to me. I was already in its chosen “path of totality.”

This eclipse had so many in my state, as in the other states that were “in totality’s path”, looking up to the heavens in anticipation of what was to come. And we were not disappointed in the least. I wonder how many of us truly felt God’s sovereign majesty and power as we witnessed this event in the skies? The skies clearly were proclaiming “the work of His hands” beautifully displayed for all of us to see. And the thing is, the works of God are always on display, indeed they surround you and me all day long, from sunrise to sunset. Then the wonders of the nighttime sky appear in spectacular display, remaining until the sun rises once again. It has been this way from the beginning of creation –

“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark the seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.’ And it was so. God made two great lights – the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:14-18)

The heavens surely do declare the presence and the glory of God twenty-four/seven. All I need to do, is to look up in order to behold the beauty of His creation. No matter where I am, I am always in the “path of totality” when it comes to being in God’s presence. I don’t have to travel across continents or across oceans, chasing the chance to catch a glimpse of God. No matter where I am, I am witness to all the wonders that occur in the presence of my Heavenly Father. It’s like the psalmist, King David said –

“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. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.” (Psalm 139:7-12)

God is indeed omnipresent. Therefore, I don’t have to worry that I will miss Him, like an eclipse, if I am not at the right place at the exact right time. I am always in my Heavenly Father’s “path of totality”, and so are you, dear readers. His word makes this clear.

” ‘Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord ” (Jeremiah 23:24)

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3)

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.” (Psalm 33:5)

Even if I don’t have my eyes on Him, my Heavenly Father always has His eyes on me.

“The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:5-8)

I am grateful to live always “in totality’s path” – in the presence of my Heavenly Father, Savior and Lord

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

sincerely, Grace Day

an empty tomb

Posted on by Grace Day

Feels like hope is in short supply these days. Or is it just me? I recently lost a friend to cancer, and other people I know are currently engaged in battle with this same life stealing enemy. It is easy for me to feel overwhelmed, helpless and sad. All this is happening just as we are getting ready to celebrate something very hopeful, entirely hopeful, actually – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. That’s why the empty tomb is such a symbol of hope. When Jesus body was laid to rest there, the story appeared to be at an end.

“Joseph took the body (of Jesus), wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.” (Matthew 27:59-60)

BUT the story was far from over. The story continues –

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ ‘ ” (Matthew 28:1-7)

What an unexpected plot twist! What was supposed to be the end of the story (Jesus’s death) turned out to be only the beginning of a brand new story, a story full of hope and of promise, a story leading from an empty tomb to life everlasting! And the tomb was indeed empty! In Mark we read this account –

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’ ‘ ” (Mark 16:5-7)

My favorite “empty tomb encounter” is recorded in Luke with these words – it is my favorite because of the angel’s question to the women. It goes down like this –

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. . . . the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ‘ ” (Luke 24:1-7)

The tomb was empty. The tomb is empty. This is good news. It was good news then. It is good news now. It is desperately needed good news for today. Death is not the end of the story. It was not the end of the story for Jesus, and it is not the end of the story for me or for you, dear readers, when Jesus is our Redeemer, our Rescuer, our atoning sacrifice and our Savior. Today, the empty tomb is a symbol of hope precisely because it is empty. The tomb could not hold the Creator of life, the Giver and the Sustainer of all life, Jesus. He will not allow it to hold His precious children either!

The tomb is empty, therefore we have hope. Our Redeemer lives! The angel’s question – “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” reminds me today that I have a risen Savior – not a deceased hero, but a living Lord. Jesus’s tomb is empty. He is not there. Because of this, these words ring true –

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)

hope for a dying world – found in an empty tomb!

“He is not here; He has risen!”

what wonderful words of hope!

sincerely, Grace Day

God’s good gifts

Posted on by Grace Day

I stared at the words for a moment, taken aback, then reread them again to be sure I had read them correctly the first time. Sure enough, I had not in my haste, misread these comments following an article written about the gift of repentance. I read again what the commenter had to say, letting it sink in –

“There is no such thing as the ‘gift of repentance.’ I’ve never heard of the ‘gift of repentance.’ It is not a gift.”

Well, this got me to thinking about the nature and definition of “gifts” and I began to wonder if perhaps this wasn’t simply a semantic distinction that was causing the commenter to question the author’s identification of “repentance” as a gift from God. Perhaps the commenter was limited by these words from 1 Corinthians 12:4-10 –

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. . . . to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.”

Did the commenter rule out repentance as a gift because it wasn’t mentioned in this particular list of “gifts”? This is not an exhaustive list of all of God’s good gifts to us by any means. It is a tip of the iceberg listing, if anything. The actual “good gifts list” (if there is one) is pretty much infinite because our Heavenly Father is an infinite God. His mercies are new every morning and so are all His other never-ending good gifts to us as His children. What I do know about good gifts and who it is that gives them is this –

“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)

And God’s good gifts to me and to you, dear readers, are many – too many to count. He gave us the gift of His only Son, Jesus.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Giving us Jesus, giving us eternal life, – pretty good gifts if you ask me. But there’s more. Jesus told His disciples this before His return to heaven –

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

God not only gave us His Son, He has given us His Holy Spirit as well. And the list of “gifts” continues to grow with these words of Jesus –

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27)

No, the world’s gifts are temporary, unsatisfyingly poor substitutes for God’s “good and perfect gifts”. God’s gifts to you and to me are priceless and perfect. And the list continues to grow with these words from Ephesians –

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

God’s grace, my faith, your faith – all gifts from God. It’s ALL God from start to finish so that I can’t boast. (I don’t have anything to boast about since every good thing I have is a gift from God) He is the author and perfecter of my faith, the sanctifier of my soul, the restorer of my life, the payer of my price, the forgiver of my sin and the lifter of my head. Repentance must certainly be among God’s many “good and perfect gifts.” And sure enough, I read these words in Ezekiel –

“I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

God softening my heart, actually giving me a “heart of flesh” able to receive Him, and opening my ears so I can hear and respond to Him – these are His gifts to me, doing for me what I cannot do for myself. My salvation, restoration, transformation, the quickening/convicting of my spirit moving me to repentance – these are all good gifts to me from my Heavenly Father. None are deserved, but all are freely given. (“He does not treat us as our sins deserve.”)

Just as faith and forgiveness are surely gifts from God, so is the work He does in my heart, drawing me to Him, leading me to repentance. A part of His gift of repentance is His gift of discipline. That’s right – discipline is a gift from God!

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.” (Hebrews 12:5-6)

I am thankful that God gives me the gift of repentance, that He gives me a heart of flesh so that I can receive His gift of forgiveness, His gift of mercies which are new every morning. I am thankful for God fulfilling this promise as well, to give us this –

“I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.” (Hebrews 8:10)

Every moment of my life is a gift from God and everything contained in those moments are His “good and perfect gifts.” His presence brings all of His good gifts with Him – gifts of comfort, joy, peace, hope, provision and protection. Gifts too numerous to number, like the manna given freely each morning to the Israelites in the desert. In my desert wanderings I know this to be true –

“You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:5)

I have the gift of Your promise – the promise of Your Presence –

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” (Isaiah 43:1-3)

God’s everpresent Presence brings me peace, provision and protection –

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:4-6)

All are good gifts from God, along with repentance, redemption and reconciliation – God’s gifts are too numerous to name them all. I am forever thankful, a life of gratitude my only possible response.

sincerely, Grace Day