Jesus

good gardening

Posted on by Grace Day

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (Genesis 2:15)

Gardening – the world’s oldest profession. (despite what we’ve been told) Adam and Eve were the original gardeners. They were put in charge of The Garden, the Garden of Eden. They were responsible for taking care of God’s creation. No small task. And it’s a responsibility humankind retains to this day.

We see this work of gardening carried out in many ways. Farmers till the soil to produce the crops that feed us all. Some tend orchards and vineyards and others tend animals which give us milk or eggs or meat or even clothing via wool or clothing from plants like cotton or flax. God’s good garden was designed to supply all our needs. We were “to work it and take care of it.” In return, God’s creation, God’s garden, would take care of us.

God’s creation is perfectly designed to meet all our needs.

“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)

So God created the garden, and then God made us the gardeners.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’ ” (Genesis 1:27-29)

Our very first job was gardening. Today though, not many of us are garden tenders. We view gardening as more of a hobby than a vocation, (or our original calling) even though nowadays people take classes to become master gardeners and landscaping, landscape architecture, horticulture, greenhouses, farmer’s markets and flower shops are thriving businesses. Maybe gardening is making a comeback?

Both my grandmothers were gardeners. Well, one employed a gardener, one was a gardener. Both their backyards were full of beautiful flowers in every season, except winter of course. Most of these flowers just magically appeared in their season, year after year. As a child, I took the beauty and peace and wonder of their backyards for granted. I was not aware of all the intentional good gardening going on behind the scene, that made these gardens the oases of color and life that they were. I simply enjoyed them.

I tend to do the same thing today with God’s garden, the earth. The earth is filled with the beauty of God’s creation everywhere I look. And even though I and my fellow gardeners (that’s y’all – we have each one been given the task of tending God’s garden) have not always been good gardeners, God’s flowers and plants and trees and mountains and waterfalls and sunsets and seas and marshes full of wildlife and deserts teeming with plant and animal life – all seem to keep on in spite of neglect or mismanagement on our part. Good thing, God, as the Master Gardener, is in charge. I recall His words to Noah after the flood –

“And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. ‘As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.’ ” (Genesis 8:21-22)

I am thankful that even when I am not the attentive, good gardener God has asked me to be, His garden still grows and produces and provides for us all. God’s perfect design continues to sustain us. A good example of this intricate perfection is photosynthesis. We humans need oxygen to live. We need to get oxygen from the air we breathe. Fortunately for us, all the living, growing, green trees, plants, grass, shrubs etc. give off oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis.

Now photosynthesis is the process taking place in all those living green leaves. It involves sunlight, water, chlorophyll, and another element necessary in order for the plants, trees etc. to grow and to produce food for us to eat. The vital element? Carbon dioxide – CO2. That’s right. All living plant life depends on carbon dioxide to stay alive and to carry out the process of photosynthesis. Fortunately for them, that’s one of the things we humans breathe out – carbon dioxide. What we don’t need – the plants and trees do need. And vice versa. We need what they are getting rid of – oxygen! God’s perfect design in action. (so why all the worry about CO2? I think all green plants need CO2 for photosynthesis, and we need photosynthesis for food production!)

Sunlight is God’s most important gardening tool. It is sunlight that supplies the energy for photosynthesis to take place. That’s why I don’t understand something I read recently about chem trails from jets putting chemicals into our atmosphere (like aluminum) to reflect the sun’s rays away from the earth, supposedly to cool the earth. As a result, crop production is diminished because less sunlight affects photosynthesis, a process that cannot take place without sunlight.

I wonder how this lessening of sunlight affects our bodies’ ability to produce vitamin D, which normally takes place naturally (and for free) when we are exposed to the sun’s light? And what’s the point of all these solar panels if at the same time we are actively working to reduce the amount of sunlight the earth receives? Gardeners are concerned about the toxic chemicals in solar panels, and about the aluminum in the chem trails when it falls to earth and becomes part of our soil, but overall silence seems to prevail on these topics.

Not sure why we think we are better gardeners than the One who created the garden in the first place. The Master Gardener’s design is perfect and it works. Why would we want to interfere with that. I’m grateful the garden is still fruitful despite our neglect or outright harm. The psalmist said this –

“Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before Him and prepares the way for His steps.” (Psalm 85:11-13)

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” (Psalm 24:1-2)

A friend of mine is the epitome of a good gardener. She cares well for God’s garden and created a space of beauty and peace surrounding her home. It became a refuge for not only birds, bees and other wildlife, but for people as well. We would sit outdoors and enjoy the sanctuary she had created – a sanctuary full of flowers, full of birds, full of color, full of peace and quiet, full of life.

I am thankful there are no wind turbines in our area to intrude upon the peace and beauty of her garden sanctuary. They are loud and their vibrations disrupt life on the ground and in the air. I often wonder why the Audubon Society has remained so silent about the detrimental impact of the wind turbines on all kinds of bird life in myriad locations across the country. When these turbines are located off of our coasts both sea life and bird life are adversely affected. Instead of saving the environment, these turbines are killing wildlife and taking up land space that a good gardener could use for better purposes.

I fear we have not lived up to our charge to tend God’s garden well. We think we know better than the Creator, so we attempt to alter our weather with harmful chemicals. We are to be guarding God’s garden, not destroying it. Our wisdom too often turns out to be only foolishness and futility. Job found this out when he questioned God and God replied to Job with these words –

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone – while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?

Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? . . . Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in it, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? . . .

Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth? . . . Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high?” (Job 38:4-39:27)

Those words pretty much put things in perspective. I want to be a good gardener of this beautiful garden called earth. God has put you and me in charge, just as He did Adam and Eve in the beginning in the garden, “to work it and take care of it.”

Heavenly Father, help me to be a good gardener – caring well for Your creation.

sincerely, Grace Day

heavenly hoarding

Posted on by Grace Day

I was searching for something in my basement recently, but to no avail. My basement is unfinished, used only for storage and a bit crowded if truth be told. As I looked through my earthly, basement treasures, these words of Jesus came to mind –

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Even though Jesus spoke these words over two-thousand years ago, seems like He could have been talking about my basement (or my garage) today. Nothing much new under the sun. We still have moths. We still have rust. We still have thieves who break in and steal. And we still attempt to store up things or “riches” for ourselves. Although today we call this “hoarding.” There’s even a TV show about it and a whole profession dedicated to helping those who exhibit this behavior.

I’ve personally dealt with all three during my lifetime, moths, rust and thieves. Still, I seem to accumulate earthly possessions with the years. I don’t own a storage unit (yet), but that must be a pretty good business to be in, because I see these buildings full of storage units for rent everywhere I go. Reminds me of another story Jesus told –

“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

Ok. Maybe the answer is not bigger barns or basements or more storage units. Maybe my security does not depend on my possessions or on me providing for myself. Maybe God wants me to trust Him to provide for me? In fact, Jesus said as much to His disciples –

“Then Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.’ ” (Luke 12:22-23)

Jesus then goes on to remind the disciples that God provides food for the birds and clothes the flowers in beautiful splendor. Therefore, God will most certainly feed and clothe His own children, those created in His image. Jesus concluded by saying –

“And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:29-34)

Trusting God to be my Provider – in this culture of self-sufficiency, that is a very counter-cultural concept. Or maybe because we here in the west live in a culture of abundance and even excess, we don’t feel the need to trust God as our Provider. We tend to accumulate, to amass more than we need, and to store the extra in our “bigger barns” (additional or bigger storage units) just like the ones the rich man in the story built for himself. Given our human tendency towards hoarding things, it is noteworthy that Jesus included this request as a part of the prayer He was teaching His disciples to pray. Known today as The Lord’s Prayer, this is how Jesus prayed –

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. . . . ” (Matthew 6:9-11)

Another translation, the NLT, says it this way – “Give us today the food we need.”

Jesus didn’t ask for a week’s worth or a month’s worth or for any excess or abundance – just what would meet today’s need. Daily bread. Daily provision. Remind you of anything? Reminds me of the daily manna the Israelites received from God new every morning while they were wandering in the wilderness those forty years. Bread from heaven sustained them on their journey. They could not store this bread up for themselves. There was no need for the Israelites to store or to hoard the manna. The manna arrived fresh every morning – just enough for that day’s need.

They had no place to store it anyway, they were nomads living in tents, always on the move. They had no time to build “bigger barns” (they had no barns to begin with). They had no refrigerators. They were following God on a journey to their promised land and they needed to travel light. It would have been an added burden to have to stockpile, to store and then to transport extra food (aka manna) with them everywhere they went. Instead, God had a better plan. The food they needed to sustain them for their journey, came to them fresh every morning, delivered right to their doorstep (tent flap). No burden of excess to carry with them. Each morning’s manna was exactly what they needed for that day and that day alone.

The only instruction they were given was NOT to take more than they needed, NOT to store it up except on the day before Sabbath. On that day, they were to take a double portion. There would be no manna for them to gather on the Sabbath day.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow My instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days. . . . “

“Each one gathered as much as he needed. Then Moses said to them, ‘No one is to keep any of it until morning.’ However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.” (Exodus 16:4-5 & 18-20)

Remind you of the moths and rust, ruining our hoarded treasures that we store up for ourselves here on earth? I’m sensing a connection. Earthly treasures are temporal treasures. They will pass away. Better to be hoarding heavenly treasures instead. No moths, rust or thieves in heaven.

No hoarding means trusting God to provide. I love the picture painted in Psalms –

“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)

“These all look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.” (Psalm 104:27-28)

My Heavenly Father’s daily provision is enough, more than enough for me. His word says He wants to satisfy me, and you, dear readers, with our daily bread, which He supplies. Not weekly bread or monthly bread, but daily bread. God wants a day by day relationship with you and with me – not a weekly or a monthly or a yearly drive by to ask for what we need. I particularly like this prayer request from Proverbs and will make it my own –

“give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown You and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Lord, may I be content with, thankful for and joyful because of the daily bread I receive from Your open hand new every morning.

sincerely, Grace Day

moment of glory

Posted on by Grace Day

His appearance on the court elicited wild applause. Then he scored – twice. The crowd cheered wildly both times. Definitely a moment of glory. What are you thinking at this point? NBA finals? NCAA championship game? High School basketball finals? The answer – none of the above. This scene did take place in a high school gym, but it wasn’t a championship game or even a regular season high school basketball game. It was a school pep rally held during the school day, featuring events for student entertainment such as a faculty/student basketball scrimmage. So who was receiving all this applause and recognition? Some celebrity basketball star? Let me tell you about him . . .

He’s tall. Even at seventy years young, he still stands tall. I’m talking about a work colleague of mine, a fellow substitute teacher at the high school where I work. Based on this one fact, his height, you might surmise that he had been a star basketball player in his day. However, he had not played beyond his middle school years. He had never experienced moments of glory on the court, even though this is a common dream for many young men growing up in this culture that lives and breathes basketball. This dream, however, never became reality for my colleague. That is until last week’s pep rally.

We all want one – a moment of glory. We may even spend our lives pursuing things that we believe will lead us to our moment of glory only to find ourselves disappointed when our efforts don’t lead us to that magic moment of success, recognition and applause. Or perhaps our moment of glory comes early in life, leaving us wondering if that’s it or is there yet another moment of glory waiting somewhere for us in the future?

So how did this youthful dream become reality for my colleague and deliver to him his long awaited moment of glory on the court, years after his days on the basketball court had seemingly come to an end? Well, as I said, we work at a high school – a high school known for its history of basketball tradition. We were state champs last year and runner up in the final game of the state championships this year. We were state champs in 1955, 56 and 59 and in 2017. We take our basketball seriously. The students my colleague played against at this school pep rally were this year’s runners up to the state champs. And his teammates, our coaches and faculty, are younger, stronger and quicker players than my colleague.

And yet, he stepped onto the court to a hero’s welcome and scored two baskets! Against all odds my colleague experienced his moment of glory. And there’s a backstory to this story. My fellow sub almost didn’t make it to the gym at all. He was assigned to a classroom upstairs during the time this pep rally was taking place in the gym. (not all students could attend, some remained in the classrooms and teachers were needed to cover those classrooms) I was summoned to cover his classroom, but I couldn’t leave the classroom I was in until my replacement arrived.

The clock was ticking. The pep rally had started. I was stuck in my classroom waiting for someone to come so that I could go to his room and he could go to the gym. At least thirty minutes or more went by before I was able to get to his classroom. At that point he thought he had probably missed his opportunity to play, BUT – neither of us knew the order of events for today’s program. Perhaps the men’s basketball scrimmage was at the end of the rally’s scheduled events. I urged him to go to the gym quickly, holding out hope that he might still get to participate in today’s basketball game.

Why was his opportunity to participate so important to me? Earlier in the school day, during homeroom/club period, he had been the speaker who addressed the students in the classroom where I was. One of the things he shared with them was how he had participated in this event last year and that he was looking forward to doing so again later on in the day. He had actually scored one basket last year, he told the students, and I could tell that had meant a lot to him – a treasured memory for him – a moment of glory that he was no doubt hoping to repeat this year.

I wanted him to have that chance for another moment of glory on the court. That’s why it was important to me to get to his classroom and send him on to the gym. I didn’t know the outcome though, until I saw him after school. He was beaming! He told me he had made it to the gym in time to play and that he had scored not one, but two baskets! And received ample applause as well. I was so happy for him. I told him next year he would score three baskets. Always good to have something to look forward to, right?

In life, we never know when our “moment of glory” will come. But we dare not quit. If we quit, our moment of glory will never come. We have to keep on showing up. In Galatians we are told –

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

In this world, some of us experience more “moments of glory” than others. BUT – in God’s coming kingdom, we have many such moments to look forward to. Paul told Timothy,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2Timothy 4:7-8)

Receiving the crown of righteousness – that’s a “moment of glory” worth waiting for. You and I have lots of “moments of glory” ahead of us in heaven. Starting with this promise –

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” (1Corinthians 13:12)

That is definitely going to be a treasured “moment of glory.” Hang in there, dear readers. Your “moment of glory” awaits!

sincerely, Grace Day

expunged

Posted on by Grace Day

As my friend shared his anxiety and uncertainty about the outcome of his recent job interview, I wished I could calm his fears and instill some hope in him during this time of waiting without knowing what the final decision will be. Turns out there is a reason for this delay in the hiring decision. And this is the very same reason why my friend is nervous, fearful and uncertain about whether or not he will be hired. A background check is required. My friend has an offense still on his record from many years ago. So if the background check goes back far enough, his offense will be discovered and brought to light once again.

I felt the weight of this burden from his past, which still impacts his life today and weighs him down. There was a time when he could have gotten this offense expunged from his record legally, BUT – there was a cost, and the cost was more money than he had at that time. The cost was just too high. So the offense has remained on his record, following him wherever he goes, because he couldn’t pay the price necessary to clear his name. And now that legal option is no longer available to him or to others in the same situation.

Now my friend is not the person that he was so many years ago. God has done, and continues to do, the miraculous, transformative work that only our Creator can do, in my friend’s life. BUT – unfortunately the world keeps score differently than God does. My friend’s current plight got me to thinking about God’s great mercy and all the second chances that God gives you and me.

Our legal system may not expunge things that we would wish to be expunged from our past, from our records, from our identity BUT – God is more than able and more than willing to expunge the stains from my past and from your past too, dear readers. And unlike my friend, who was unable to pay the cost of his expungement, my cost and your cost has already been paid! We can have our past sins expunged from our record for free. God says so –

” ‘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)

If that isn’t clear enough, God says this –

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25)

That sounds to me exactly like the definition of expunged, which is “to erase or remove completely.” Removing sin stains is an impossible task for me and for you, BUT – God specializes in the expungement of our sins. I read this in Psalms –

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:10-12)

This is definitely good news that God “remembers my sins no more” and that God has “removed my sins (the bad things on my record) from me, even as far as the east is from the west.” However, this “expungement” of my sins from my record must have been quite expensive, and in fact it was. Expungement and the resulting right standing with God cost more than I could ever pay. BUT- God is able to cover the cost! And He has!

Because “the wages (penalty) of my sin is death,” that’s the price, a death sentence for me. If I can’t pay it, there is nothing I can do to clear my own record. God has to do it for me. He did this by sending His Son, Jesus, to die in my place to pay the price for my sin.

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

The prophet, Isaiah, talks about the One who would come to pay my sin price with His death on a cross, canceling my debt and expunging my record of sin.

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, . . . by His knowledge My righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. . . . because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:10-12)

I can have a clean record, a record expunged of all my offenses against God and man because Jesus paid the cost of having my sins forgiven and expunged. I am so grateful, because like my friend, I cannot pay the price of having an offense expunged from my record. The psalmist acknowledges as much when he says –

“If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4)

Forgiveness – that is what makes expungement possible. God stands ready to forgive me and you, His word says so –

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

God forgives my sins and expunges my record. The world may hold my friend’s past offenses against him, but God doesn’t. My friend has a place and a job in God’s kingdom, as do you and I. Our past records have been expunged, which means –

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

No condemnation! Forgiven! Redeemed! Record expunged! You and I have joy and hope because we know –

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

sincerely, Grace Day

from stumbling block to steppingstone

Posted on by Grace Day

“They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)

Transformation – that’s what it’s all about. Seems to me transformation is a quite painful and possibly lengthy process. Unless maybe you’re Cinderella. Her transformation was quick and painless. With the wave of a wand, Cinderella’s rags turned into a beautiful ballgown fit for a princess. Of course, this was an outward, not an inward transformation. Maybe that’s why no pain, hard work and time were involved in her transformation. BUT – true transformation, change that comes from the inside out, is painful and does take time. Isn’t that why we say, “No pain – no gain!”?

Turning weapons (swords and spears) into useful tools certainly took some time, hard work and would have involved intense pain if swords or spears either one had feelings. Fortunately for them they don’t. So the process that transforms swords and spears into useful tools is painless. Not so for me in my transformational journey. I desire to be transformed from a stumbling block into a steppingstone. Why? Well, here’s what God has to say about stumbling blocks in His word.

“Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.’ ” (Luke 17:1)

“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” (Romans 14:13)

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” (1 Corinthians 8:9)

A stumbling block is something people trip over, something that brings them down. God doesn’t want me to be that stone that causes someone to stumble and fall, making it more difficult for them to follow after Jesus than it would otherwise be. God wants me to help people in their pursuit of Him, not hinder them. To this end, it is better that I become a steppingstone on the path that leads to Him. Sure, I will get walked on. By definition, that’s the sole purpose of a steppingstone – to help people get from one place to another place safely, by letting them walk across you to their destination.

Think of steppingstones across a stream. If they do their job well, I won’t even get my feet wet and I’ll get to the other side without falling into the water, which could be dangerous. Steppingstones are lifesavers. Stumbling blocks are people’s downfall, literally and figuratively. BUT – in order to turn me from a stumbling block into a steppingstone, God has to humble me. Instead of standing up, blocking the way and obscuring the view for other people on the path to God, I have to lay down. I have to lay down my rights, my wants and my ways. Stepping stones, not stumbling blocks, give others a level path to God and a clear view of how to get there.

Fortunately, I have an excellent role model of how this “laying down of self thing” is done – Jesus, Himself. Jesus is my steppingstone to God, mine and yours too, dear readers. Jesus made this clear when He said,

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

BUT – in order to do this for us, Jesus had to lay down His life for me and for you, for everyone. Jesus laid down His life in order to become for all of humanity The Steppingstone to our Creator, God. Paul describes it this way in Philippians, saying –

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

Jesus, Himself, acknowledged what He did, saying –

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

The sheep – that’s you and I, dear readers! Jesus continues –

“The reason the 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)

Stumbling blocks stand up. They block the way for others. Steppingstones lie down. They pave the way for others. Stumbling blocks are in the way. Steppingstones are the way. Or more accurately, they are a part of the way, a part of the path people walk upon on their way to Jesus. When stumbling blocks humble themselves and lay down, they become steppingstones on the path that leads to eternal life.

Steppingstones are not necessarily noticed as people walk over them to get safely where they’re going. Stumbling blocks are noticed however, although usually too late to be avoided. Refusing to lay down themselves, they cause others to fall down when they trip over an unyielding stumbling block.

Remember that saying – “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”? Well, I think perhaps it could be said that – “the road to heaven is paved with steppingstones who, like Jesus, have laid down their lives in obedience to God’s call, so that other’s can walk on them safely to get to Jesus.

My transformation from stumbling block to steppingstone is ongoing. I often need God’s reminder to humble myself and lay down so as not to be an impediment to someone else. Transformation involves hard work, pain and time. There is no magic wand – BUT God does all the necessary work to accomplish this miraculous change that I so desire. I have this promise from His word –

“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)

God Himself is turning me slowly, painfully, one day at a time, from a stumbling block into a steppingstone – a steppingstone He can use for His good purposes. Only God can accomplish such miraculous transformations. I read in Psalms and Isaiah about an ultimate transformation that God brought about –

“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:22-23)

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

I want to be a steppingstone to The Cornerstone, The Capstone, The Tested Stone – which is Jesus, the sure foundation of my faith. No greater joy than to lay down and join other fellow steppingstones on the path to life, so that others can step on us as they make their way to Jesus. Lord, help me to stay surrendered as a steppingstone to You.

sincerely, Grace Day

face to face

Posted on by Grace Day

The room was full of people and yet it was strangely quiet. I looked around but couldn’t make eye contact with anyone. I asked a question and was a little put out that no one answered until I realized that no one heard me. The explanation for this is not hearing loss, but the fact that if not wearing headphones, which are obvious, most had earbuds in, which meant they were listening to something or someone else, rendering them oblivious to their present surroundings, which included me. Everyone seemed to be “otherwise occupied.” Translation – they were all looking intently at their phones.

Whatever happened to the popular mantra – “be fully present where you are”? or “be fully present in the moment”? It seems to have been replaced with “don’t engage with those physically present with you – it could be difficult, draining or downright dangerous.” The cyberspace world is more comfortable for people today, I guess. Maybe because it is more easily controlled? (I can make a quick exit at any time with the added bonus of blaming it on technology if I need to throw someone under the bus) Maybe it’s because cyberspace requires less of me than personal interactions do? Or is it because people say things online that they wouldn’t say in person, face to face, with cyberspace’s anonymity and distance providing cover from any immediate consequences?

Do we now relegate reality to something to be avoided in favor of cyberality? Ok – cyberality is not officially a word, but new words get added to the lexicon every day. I submit “cyberality” as a new word for this year. Actually, this is long overdue. We are spending increasingly more time online, or in cyberality, than ever before. This leaves us less time to spend with the people who are physically present with us in the moment, or at best our attention is divided between the two worlds – cyberality and reality. We are rendered both more connected and more isolated simultaneously as we choose to spend more of our time online and less of our time interacting in person with the people around us, whether that be at the dinner table, at work or wherever we are.

BUT – cyberality, cyber relationships, all the time we spend online – none of this seems to satisfy us. Instead we are lonelier than ever. We continue to long for more. Which makes sense because we were created for more. We were created for relationship by a personal Creator who created you and me specifically for relationship with Him and for relationships with each other. Job gave voice to this innate desire of ours to know our Creator, when he said –

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27)

Job longed for the face to face encounter with God, as we all do if we are honest about our deepest desires, those we dare not voice even to ourselves. Ecclesiastes gives us a clue as to why this is so –

“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

You and I were created for personal relationships, relationships born out of and sustained by face to face encounters. Anything less leaves us longing for something more than what cyberality provides. Paul describes our plight this way in Corinthians –

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

I wonder if today this verse would more accurately read “now we see but a poor reflection on a phone screen or a computer screen”, since this seems to be a primary mode of interaction with others, too often replacing face to face interactions. This explains why you and I can be lonely in a room full of people. You or I may be present with others in body but that is all. If I am, or those around me are, gazing intently into phone screens, they become as invisible to me as I am invisible to them, as long as we remain focused solely on our phone screens.

Remember the old expression “phoning it in”? It means giving a half-hearted effort, going through the motions or doing the bare minimum. This expression is said to have originated in the 1930’s as a joke among theater actors who had such a small role, they said they could call on the phone rather than appear on the stage in person. How ironic that today we allow our phones to substitute for in person interactions we would otherwise have. We “phone it in” in our personal relationships.

My Heavenly Father does not want me to “phone it in” when it comes to my relationship with Him. After all, He didn’t “phone it in” – He left heaven and came here in the flesh, in person – in the person of Jesus Christ. He came to give you and I the face to face interaction that we desperately needed to experience. John tells us –

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

The face to face experience – that is what you and I were created for. This is what we long for. This is why the poor reflection of a mirror or of a phone screen, cannot ultimately satisfy our longing for real relationships. Only the face to face encounter can do that. King David knew this to be true. (way before phone screens even existed) Must be why he said this to God in a psalm –

“Because I am righteous, I will see You. When I awake, I will see You face to face and be satisfied.” (Psalm 17:15)

King David was satisfied with the face to face, something that our online, cyberality experience can never truly do for us. Real life relationships are harder, more painful but ultimately more rewarding and more satisfying. Jesus came to give us the face to face experience at great cost to Himself and great benefit for me and for you, dear readers. And now we have this to look forward to –

“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)

no more “through a glass darkly” or “poor reflection in a mirror” or phone screen cyberality relationships – just the true reality of the face to face in God’s glorious Presence! I will gladly trade in my phone screen for that! How about you?

sincerely, Grace Day

palm branches and talking rocks

Posted on by Grace Day

We made our way down the aisles of the church, waving palm branches and singing a joyful hosanna song – the “we” being the young children in our Sunday School classes and us, their teachers. This morning, memories of other Palm Sundays long ago came alive again as I remembered well doing this very same thing as a child in my own church. Nothing has changed, maybe because the event we remember and recreate on Palm Sunday is the same one we’ve been celebrating for centuries – Jesus’s coming into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. This scene of celebration is described for us by John –

“The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting,

‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!’

Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, ‘Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.’ ” (John 12:12-15)

Matthew also recorded this joyous occasion that we are still remembering and celebrating every year on Palm Sunday –

“The disciples went and did as Jesus instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ ” (Matthew 21:6-9)

Mark describes what happened in this way –

“When they brought their colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’ ” (Mark 11:7-10)

and lastly, Luke gives us this account of what has come to be called “Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem” –

“They brought it (the colt) to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ ‘I tell you,’ He replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’ ” (Luke 19:35-40)

It’s clear from these eye-witness accounts that the crowds of people were joyful as they praised God and they were quite loud as they shouted their “hosannas” and their “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” and multiple other shouts of joy at Jesus’s arrival in their city. They were praising God enthusiastically and unashamedly. They were worshipping Jesus as the “King of Israel” and the “Son of David.” Their joy was unrestrained, their voices resounded loudly, as all the accounts testified, from “those that went ahead of Jesus and from those who followed Him” – the echoes of this loud celebration could be heard throughout the city of Jerusalem.

That must be why the Pharisees in the crowd did what they did and said what they said to Jesus. Remember? They asked Jesus to “rebuke” His disciples because His disciples along with all the other people in the very large crowd were too loud. Way to kill the joy of the moment and put an end to the celebration of Jesus’s return to Jerusalem, right? The Pharisees were nothing if not kill joys.

BUT – they didn’t succeed in silencing this celebration of Jesus as God’s long-awaited Messiah and King. Not this day! Jesus refused to quiet the Hosannas of the large crowds. Instead, Jesus pointed out a fun fact the Pharisees should have known from studying their scriptures. Even if the people present did get quiet, the praise and the celebration would still continue because, Jesus said – “if they (the people) keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

One translation puts it this way – “if they keep quiet, the stones along the road will burst into cheers.” (Luke19:40/NLT) I like that imagery – the image of traditionally stoic stones breaking into cheers and chants of praise for their Creator. It’s easier for me to imagine roaring lions, trumpeting elephants or howling wolves giving their Creator loud praise than it is to think about a rock bursting into song. I wonder if that’s why Jesus mentioned stones specifically out of all of creation? In Psalm 66 I read –

“All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing praise to Your name.” (Psalm 66:4)

It’s one thing for all the various songbirds to sing God’s praises. That’s what they were born to do, whether nightingales, warblers, bluebirds or even woodpeckers, who comprise the percussion section of the bird chorus. I hear babbling brooks, whispering or whistling winds, rustling leaves, crashing waves, thunder, lightning, buzzing bees, the chorus of bullfrogs and summer night’s crickets making music after dark – all of creation really does seem to be perpetually making a joyful noise to their Creator – except perhaps stones. I don’t really hear much from them, to be honest.

But Jesus said even the stones would break their ages long silence and cry out if all the people shouting His praises were suddenly forced to be silent. Stones, too, are a part of God’s creation and they will not be denied the opportunity to participate in praising His name along with the rest of His creation. I get it. I want my voice to be counted among the chorus of praise as well. It’s an ongoing, never ceasing, concert of jubilation and praise and I want to be always participating in this earthly, eternal choir! Isaiah says –

“the mountains and hills will burst into song before You, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12)

Creation’s praise of God is one never ending song, as it says in Psalms –

“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)

That’s what the Pharisees should have known – that God’s creation always praises Him and they had no authority to require silence from anyone or from any part of God’s creation, even the smallest rocks and stones. While rocks and stones may be lesser recognized voices among God’s creation choir, they too are giving glory to God in their own way, twenty-four/seven, along with the shining stars, the pounding waves, the cry of the loon across the lake. The towering cliffs and deep canyons of rock and stone cry out in praise of their Creator all day long. Their majesty, beauty and uniqueness reflect God’s glory continuously along with all the rest of God’s creation.

The Pharisees should have known what the psalmist declared so many centuries before –

“Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do His bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” (Psalm 148:7–13)

We were not silent on Palm Sunday. We praised God with palm branches and joyful Hosannas in the sanctuary. But don’t tell me that outside the church, the rocks and stones of the surrounding streets and yards, weren’t also singing praises to their Creator with the same joyful jubilation as the trees, the flowers, the birds and all the rest of God’s creation.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

and also those things that don’t – even boulders, stones and the rocks of the road –

sincerely, Grace Day

irony to the “mth” degree

Posted on by Grace Day

My last post was all about second chances, actually second, second chances to be specific. My days are filled with them. Some are obvious and others I am oblivious to, not realizing the grace I have been granted. However, I don’t want to take any of my second chances for granted or to be unaware that I have received yet another second chance. Being aware of all the different ways God grants me mercy every day, leads me to thankfulness. If I don’t realize the grace I’ve been granted, I fail to appreciate the magnitude (and the kindness) of God’s protection, provision and patience with me on a daily basis. My Heavenly Father’s patience is what allows me all these second chances. I want to remember to thank Him –

“Let them (me) give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them (me) sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:21-22)

Now some second chances are more dramatic than others. The near miss in traffic or being spared power outages and property damages in last week’s intense storms, as I was, leads me to “give God thanks with a grateful heart” as the song says. Interestingly, I just experienced a very ironic “second chance” shortly after completing the previous post – “second, second chances.” You can’t make this stuff up.

A few hours after publishing the post, I closed a tab from my “mtothe5th” site on another computer and somehow the “second, second chances” post was deleted except for the first paragraph! I couldn’t believe it. One thousand plus words had just vanished! I was panicked. I checked and rechecked, but the post was now just one paragraph long. All that time and effort gone. Gone where? To the cloud? Had technology stolen the very personal sharing of my heart and life experience?

You should know the backstory on this, dear readers. Technology and I are not on the best of terms. We have a love/hate relationship. I can’t decide whether she is a friend or a foe. She has played the role of both in my life. Still, I often feel that technology hates me without reason. I don’t hate her, but I don’t trust her either. Technology is so fickle and unpredictable. Just when I think I’ve got her figured out, she goes and does something like this. She steals what I labored over for so long. My post had literally disappeared from my blog and from cyberspace. I couldn’t retrieve it no matter what keys I hit on the keyboard.

If technology had stashed my post in the cloud, I have no idea where this elusive cloud resides, nor do I have the keys to gain access to all that the cloud hoards within her mysterious vastness. I thought all was lost. Until I found a way to a second chance. It occurred to me that my post had already gone out a few hours prior and that there were those who would have received it via email. Would their emails have disappeared also? I called a friend to find out the answer to this very important question.

Enter my second chance! My friend had received the email and it did contain the full text of my vanished post. However, technology would not let her forward this email to me. I guess technology was not giving up my post without a fight. BUT – my friend was able to print out her email which contained the full text of my post. I gladly went to her home to pick it up! Now I had in my hands the concrete evidence of my day’s labor. I had not labored in vain!

I now had the opportunity to restore my vanished post to the blog. This was definitely a second chance for this post about, of all things, “second chances”. Hence the irony. The post about second chances that was stolen away from me (or I inadvertently hit some wrong key on the computer) was now returned to me, giving the post its second chance to be published. What remained was for me to retype it into the computer, which I gladly did. My “second, second chances” post was itself getting a second chance! The irony of this is not lost on me, probably because it is off the charts inescapable! And while I totally appreciate the humor in this particular second chance scenario, the initial panic I felt when I thought all was lost, is easily recalled.

My Heavenly Father continues to give me forgiveness and second chances, some are just more obvious or in this case, more ironic, than others. But hopefully each second chance gets my attention, causes me to give thanks and compels me to take advantage of the “do over” and do better. I keep thinking eventually I’ll get some of these repeat opportunities, some of these second chances, right. After all –

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

“new every morning” – that’s the beauty, the hope and the promise of the second chances God gives to me – they are like His manna and His mercy – they are new every morning!

sincerely, Grace Day

second, second chances

Posted on by Grace Day

“Dodged a bullet” – that’s what they say when something bad or harmful or negative could have happened to you BUT – it didn’t. Therefore, you dodged a bullet. It’s a common enough expression, used often, probably because our days are filled with near misses or dodged bullets, even if we are unaware of just how many bullets miss us each day. Maybe ignorance is bliss, but I think not. If I truly recognize how many times I have been rescued, how many times I have been spared from some hurt or harm or danger or disaster – this knowledge should lead me to gratitude every time – gratitude to my Heavenly Father, who watches over me, whose mercies towards me never cease. After all,

“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 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 121:2-8)

This has been a week of particularly stormy spring weather here, complete with lightning, thunderstorms, heavy rains, high speed winds and even some tornado touchdowns one evening. We have been under weather advisories multiple evenings and I have found myself driving in some challenging conditions this week. I have definitely dodged a few bullets on the pothole filled roads this week, (post – “pitfalls and potholes”) resulting in multiple second chances for me and for my car.

BUT – in truth, is this me dodging bullets, due to my skill, dexterity, wisdom and wits? OR – is this me receiving God’s freely given, undeserved grace, mercy and protection over my daily life? I think we both know this is the latter and never the former. I am not a skilled bullet dodger in the least. But God is a skilled protector and a merciful giver of second, second chances. And I am the thankful recipient of all those second, second chances that His mercy and His protection give to me. My response? I definitely say with the psalmist –

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:2-5)

My Heavenly Father “forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases” cancelling my debt and setting me free again and again. (just like the fellow in my previous post – “second chances”) I experience this on a daily basis, although some of my rescues are more dramatic than others and some of my cancelled debts are larger than others. Nonetheless, I want to be aware of and thankful for each and every one of my second, second chances, of every forgiven sin, every cancelled debt that I never could have paid myself.

Just this past week, I received yet another kind of second chance. It started with a medical test that required “more testing”, meaning – maybe something is wrong, let’s take a closer look. So in the interim between first and second tests, I lived with the possibility of this diagnosis being reality. When the second test revealed “nothing to see here, false alarm”, it was for me a new beginning, a clean slate. I was freed from the burden that this diagnosis would have entailed, a great weight was lifted from me, my debt was wiped away, there would be no “jail time” for me due to illness. I have been given yet another second chance.

Now that I have been set free, what will I do with my new-found freedom? Go back to my old life? Do what the guy in my previous post did when his debt was forgiven and he was set free? FYI – he was so grateful to have his debt forgiven, that his first act as a forgiven, free man was to go out and send to prison the first person he came across who owed him an inconsequentially small sum of money. (Matthew chapter 18 – the parable of the unmerciful servant) No, that is NOT how I want to live out my debt free, sins forgiven, bailed out of jail life.

Maybe I should think about sharing the good news that I have experienced with others, letting them know that they too can have second, second chances in this life. God is not stingy with His forgiveness, nor with His mercy and lovingkindness. In fact, in Psalms I read –

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

It’s not that I have been getting better at dodging bullets, or that I have been dodging bullets at all. The truth is that God is being gracious to me and continues to give me undeserved, unearned second, second chances every day as I walk with Him. I want every second chance God gives me, to conform me a little closer to His image and to His will. So that the next time God forgives me for saying harsh words instead of kind words, His forgiveness will change me, so much so, that when given that next second chance – I will say the kind words He desires, instead of the harsh or hurtful words I might speak if left unchanged by His forgiveness and love.

However, I will allow God’s forgiveness to change me. I will not squander away the precious gift of second chances, (like the unmerciful servant) nor of second, second chances, nor of all the second chances God gives after that. Each second chance is a gift. I will thank my Heavenly Father for each and every one of them that He sends my way. And God gives me these second chances at just the right time. Just when I think I’ve messed up too bad to come back from whatever it is, I’m reminded of others who must have thought this very same thing. They believed that they too, had used up all their second chances with God.

There was the prodigal son, the disciple Peter and the thief hanging on the cross beside Jesus, to name a few. Each one of these had messed up big time with some really bad decisions. BUT – each one was rescued, forgiven, and restored to family, to their calling, and to eternal life respectively. The Good News of the Gospel – you and I are offered a second chance every day. I just have to humble myself, confess my failure and ask God for forgiveness. God is faithful to respond by giving me that second chance. Then I must be brave enough to accept the opportunity and face the challenge that a second chance always brings with it. In humility I pray King David’s prayer –

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. . . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. . . . Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. . . . Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:1-2, 7, 10 & 12)

Second, second chances – King David received them multiple times. And so did a most unlikely woman – the infamous woman caught in adultery. Her second chance encounter with Jesus was truly dramatic. She was called to account publicly, in front of a large crowd, by the religious leaders of the day. However, this situation intended for public humiliation of the woman and for catching Jesus in some legal misstep, didn’t unfold as the religious leaders had planned. Instead, it ended with the woman receiving a much needed second chance in life. Their law demanded that the woman be stoned to death for her crime of adultery. BUT – Jesus said to the crowd,

” ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ . . . At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’ ” (John 8:7-11)

This woman received her second chance – a clean slate, her past forgiven, her sin debt paid, no jail time, no more death penalty hanging over her head – she was free – free to go and live a new life, a life free from the bondage of sin! Talk about your second chances! Yours and mine, dear readers, our second chances are no less miraculous, no less life changing, no less undeserved, but just as earnestly desired and needed as was this woman’s.

Every second chance is a miracle. Every second chance is a gift from God.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for every second chance You give me. May I not waste a one of them!

sincerely, Grace Day

second chances

Posted on by Grace Day

We all need them – at least I know I do and God gives them to me and to you every day, those wonderful, necessary, life-giving, hope filled second chances. (sometimes called “do overs”)

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

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

I am so thankful for my Heavenly Father’s limitless supply of mercy towards me. He gives me this on a daily basis, new every morning, just like the life sustaining manna that miraculously appeared new every morning in the desert, keeping the Israelites alive in that barren land. When I realize I got it wrong and I desire forgiveness and an opportunity to try again I trust in this promise from His word –

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

My Heavenly Father’s forgiveness gives me the second chance I so desire over and over and over again. So what do I do with all these second chances? I don’t want to take God’s mercy and forgiveness for granted. I want to be changed by His love for me, a love that never gives up on me. I sure don’t want to be like the guy in this one story – you know the one, right? There was this servant who owed a huge debt to the king, a debt so big he could never repay it, even if he worked his entire life to pay it off. So what happened? Well . . .

“The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.” (Matthew 18:27)

This is unexpected, undeserved and unbelievable. Not only did the servant not go to jail, the debt was canceled, forgiven, wiped away – he no longer owed anything, he was free! So what did this person do with his new-found freedom, his surprise second chance? Well . . .

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he (the forgiven servant) refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.” (Matthew 18:28-30)

Now – some fun facts you might want to know. How much debt had the king forgiven this man who refused to forgive his fellow servant? Here’s the backstory –

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.” (Matthew 18:23-25)

BUT – remember what happened? “The servant’s master took pity on him, (mercy) canceled the debt (forgiveness) and let him go. (freedom)” Now here’s the fun fact, the debt of “ten thousand talents” is a debt equal to millions of dollars! No wonder he would never be able to repay it. In comparison, his fellow servant owed him “a hundred denarii” – or a debt equal to only a few dollars.

The man who had been forgiven an unpayable debt, the man who had been given a second chance – this man could not find it in his heart to forgive his fellow servant even a few dollars. Unbelievable! (remember, he had his fellow servant thrown in prison for owing him just a few bucks) God gives me so many second chances every day. I want to make the most of each and every second chance that God graciously gives me. I don’t want to go back to my old ways after being forgiven. I want every second chance to change me, transforming me little by little into the person God is calling me to be.

It will ultimately require more second chances than I can count to accomplish God’s good purposes in me, but fortunately, my Heavenly Father does not give up on me! And He’s not stingy with the second chances. He keeps on offering me second chances filled with His forgiveness, hope and encouragement. All He asks of me is that I do the same for others.

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

That’s pretty clear. Unfortunately, the servant forgiven of his great debt didn’t make very good use of his second chance. He went right out and had his fellow servant put in prison for an insignificant debt against him. What happened after that? Well . . .

“When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:31-35)

I don’t want to blow any second chances God gives me like this guy did. If God can forgive me of my huge debt, certainly I can forgive other people their very small debts. I am overwhelmed daily with God’s mercy and forgiveness to me, new every morning – yet another undeserved second chance. I cannot keep that to myself. I will give the gift of a second chance to anyone and everyone, forgiving any debt they might owe me, knowing it is infinitesimally small compared to the debt I owe to God.

Thank You, God, for second chances.

” ‘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)

sincerely, Grace Day