Good Monday morning! Sorry about the time change thing. Oh, the spring leap ahead feels so wonderful when that Monday morning alarm sounds. I'm doing my best not to sound sarcastic when I say that. Just reminding myself often this morning that grateful acceptance is a central part of our faith in Christ. We don't always want it to be. We want a prescription for years of diligent study, a certain diet, workouts of the body, pilgrimage to various neato places, and then some award shows along the way to mark our progress and get a little attention. All of that sounds pretty good, some of it might even be useful in our Christian growth, but none of it starts the ball rolling with God.
A grateful acceptance of the love and grace of our Lord Jesus is where we begin this journey. Forgiveness of sin and mercy toward us is bound up in the grace we must humbly and gratefully accept. We cannot work for it. No one can earn it or deserve it. We must simply bow down and accept it with a grateful heart. Along the way of tribulation that comes after our salvation by Christ is some of those things we are looking for such as diligent Bible study. However, we must also accept gratefully a changed heart that desires these things. If God gave us His mercy, and then moved on to the next person we would not change our behavior. We must continue to gratefully accept our new lives as the Spirit moves us.
Prayer for today: I gratefully accept the strength God gives me to do what He would have me to do! I know that in my old, sinful state, I would not do this new thing, whatever it may be. I need and gratefully accept that motivation and strength that comes from God alone in this new life in Christ Jesus. Thank you, Lord!
Bucky
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