Skip to main content

A Good Word

God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness." [Act 3:26 ESV]

This passage struck me today. That Jesus blesses us, pronounces a blessing or praise over us (And this blessing not our preconceived idea of riches bestowed, no – He speaks over us!) in that He turns us from our wicked ways, our sins. Does that strike anyone else? That Jesus was sent to turn us away from our sin! Oh, how good is our God!!! He not only provided salvation for us through His only Son Jesus’ death and resurrection, He blesses the sanctifying work Jesus does in us! 

Could it be that He woos us, draws us directs us away from distractions and unto Himself with His Words? 

Imagine this: Your everyday ordinary life and the moments you blow it. And see Jesus looking upon you and your life with a smile on His face. Yup, a smile. (Who can sing the praises over someone without a smile?!) So, He’s smiling and speaking blessing over your life. Interceding with encouragement to turn toward Him. So those moments you feel condemnation, it can’t be from Him, He’s speaking blessing! That gentle whisper that makes us stop, that prick in our heart that stays harsh words – the reminder of who we are and that a particular thought or behavior is unbecoming of a daughter or son of the Most High God – that’s Jesus! That my dear friend is Grace upon Grace! He saved and saves continually! He intercedes on our behalf with the Father and speaks blessing over us - speaks the Truth of who we are and His desires for us. May we become keenly attune to His voice, that the lies of the enemy will be silenced and more, we will victoriously turn to become all that Jesus has spoken!                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Oh, oh and that is a good, good Word!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

When the pain get too big

There are times when the heartbreaks of this life collide with our weakness and the pain gets so big that even breathing is hard.  It’s like being dragged under by the surf and tumbled over and over until up is down and you’re dragged along the bottom and raw wounds meet with salted surf and the searing pain of it is only a faint echo of the pain within your soul and you gasp for breath and flail helplessly, like a rag doll, until you’re eventually released upon the shore coughing up the brine of your own tears… This is where I have been. Literally on the verge of tears at every moment.   Memories, regrets, sorrow, missing, aching, loss - churning, growing to tsunami intensity threatening to overwhelm.   Today I received a devotional from a Jewish Messianic site challenging us regarding the Sabbath.   Oh, how my soul yearned for it.   A Sabbath, a rest.   But the to-do list haunted and I headed to the shower to start the day.   All the while rest was beckoning to me…   What h

It matters not

It matters little who I am. Each one of us has a story to tell, a life filled with love, loss, heartache, joy & laughter.  I am just a busted up pitcher.  Yes, the image that came to your mind - whether one you pour iced tea from, the one with the chip on the lip so it spills as much down the outside of your glass as gets in. Or the little creamer pitcher your gramma had in her hutch, the one with the broken handle that has glue globbed on it's listing side.  Or the one that you pour oil with, the one with the faint crack you overlook because you never think to replace it while you are shopping.  Oh, or maybe it's the purple plastic juice jug that hit the heating coil in the dishwasher... melted a hole an inch from the top but you never fill it that full anyway. No matter what image came to your mind, that's me.  The true value of a pitcher is not it's appearance or even its purpose but it's what the pitcher holds that is precious.  The sole purpose of the p

Un-becoming

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. [Rev 19:7-8]   We’ve all been to weddings. Everything focuses around the bride. My favorite moment is to watch the groom as he catches the first glimpse of his bride, he’s overcome by her beauty – she’s prepared herself specifically and especially for this day.   Now imagine, how does the bride of Christ prepare herself to be radiant for her beloved? Righteous deeds, good works… As I pondered this passage and how it applies to this season,  I heard “Un-becoming” . I sense that this season we are in is a cleansing period, a time of preparation.   UN   becoming who we’ve become; busy, weary, anxious, overburdened, chameleon – being who others want or expect us to be. Lost, depressed, frustrated, needy.  And instead, shed the shackl

The Cost of Freedom

  Memorial Day I once thought I understood the cost of freedom. I’d heard the family stories, my momma named for her uncle shot down over France, I’d been to the parades and ceremonies, could repeat great quotes, I’d seen the movies…   But then a few years ago I walked among the names – name after name after name, reaching far, even unto the horizon;  and the faces of sons and daughters and mothers and fathers – determination in their countenance, fear in their eyes, aged beyond their years.  One caught me as I walked by, gripped my heart and dragged me up close. He stared at me, wanting me to see, wanting to be known. Though his lips unable to speak it, his lifeless eyes told of the horrors he’d seen, the death he’d lived, the life he’d taken. He was just a boy, once full of life, now, full of death. He begged “Remember me.”  And through tears I vowed I would never forget him. Him without a name, an ordinary face – just one among many…  And then I stood, in reverential silence as mirr