Month: December 2014

O Holy Father!
Who am I! That You would know me from the 8 billion people with Your breath in their lungs.
Who am I! That You would delight in me over the majesty of heaven and all of Your creation.
Who am I! That I would deserve Your thoughts and attentions as numerous as the grains of sand of the sea.
Who am I! That You would faithfully and freely provide everything good and perfect in this world to sustain and satisfy me.
Who am I! That You would send Your Son to die for me and all my inequity.

I am a betrayer, a liar, a thief, an adulterer, a murderer, a gossip, an idol worshiper, a fornicator, a coveter, a prostitute, a worthless sinner saved by Your grace through faith that Your Son, Jesus Christ died on the Cross at Calvary for the sins of the world – for all sin – now and forever.

In what can I boast? All that I am is Yours. All that I have is Yours. My days are gifts of Your mercy. My sustenance is provision from Your love and grace. All that I know that is good flows from Your endless bounty.

From this moment till my last; May my words honor You, May my thoughts please You, May my actions reflect You, and may I “always and only” boast in Your finished work at the Cross of our salvation.

Amen!

Brandon Heath’s song “Give Me Your Eyes” won the 2009 Gospel Dove Award for “Song
of the Year.” It is a good song with a great message. I agree with our need to really see sin, suffering, evil, death, envy, contention, pain, guilt, hunger, immorality, etc., from God’s perspective so that it stirs us in to action. But like so many of our prayers, can we really take it?

Originally, we were never created to view or experience sin or its tapestry. Sin cost us our right standing with god, Eden and eternal life. Each of us is given a measure of faith – our portion from our Heavenly Father. Like Brandon’s desire in the song, we need to long for God to increase our understanding of Him, to know Him more, then we will be better equip to love others and understand their real needs.

We must never put God “in a box.” To try to use our limited gift of words to communicate a
definition of His awesomeness is utterly impossible. To assume that we could even for an instant withstand the perfection of His vision touches upon an oxymoron. We sing about God as “indescribable” let’s believe it. Rich Mullin’s said it best “When He rolls up His sleeves He ain’t just putting on the Ritz!” Moses had to be protected by God as God passed him in the cleft of the rock. God said “If you look upon my face you will surely die.” We serve an awesome God!

Does any Christian really believe they will have anything to say when we stand in His presence
for judgment? Only the ones who claim their works within their ministries – the one’s who forgot about their adoption through His amazing grace and their blood covering in Christ’s righteousness.

Remember the prostitute who washed Jesus’ feet at the banquet with the Pharisees. She humbled
herself before her accusers to seek forgiveness and love from the Son of God. She never said a word. But I believe her heart was crying out for mercy and acceptance in repentance. What did Jesus say to her?

“Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among
themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:48-50)

We need to be careful to examine our hearts in our prayer life and in the songs we sing in agreement with the fellowship of saints. Do you surrender all? At what cost will it take to walk closer to Jesus? They are heartfelt outcries from a true worshipper’s heart — but they come at a cost, lost of worldly comfort, sacrifice of self for others, self esteemed ambitions dissolved for God’s glory.

Taken from previous devotional, October 2009