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Grateful for Mercy
Jan 08 3:20 AM

Grateful for Mercy

Jan 08 3:20 AM
Jan 08 3:20 AM

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2:9–10

Knowledge of the fact that we have been chosen by the Lord is truly humbling and can actually be overwhelming as well.

We begin with this overwhelming sense of gratitude because we realize we are so undeserving. These feelings lead to intense service because of a steady growing knowledge of all that has been accomplished on our behalf. We now belong to the Lord that we may be able to proclaim Him to the world.

The danger is that this can then lead to a sense of pride because we begin to realize all that we do on behalf of the Lord and that everyone that belongs to Him isn’t serving Him as fervently. This can then lead to feeling overwhelmed for an entirely different reason than at the beginning.  When we begin to examine what we do on behalf of the Lord, and we begin to construct a picture of why He chose us, the feeling can be truly overwhelming.  But I want to encourage us to destroy this picture of ourselves immediately, because there is no truth to it.

The Lord didn’t choose us because of our great ability, He chose us in spite of our shortcomings. This is true for every believer who has come before us as well—even the ones we admire so much. The authenticity of Scripture proves this to be the case, as we see even the low points of their lives exposed for us to read and learn from.  Each one of our Biblical heroes bore a multitude of shortcomings.  From Moses to David to the Apostle Paul, they were all wrestling with the reality of their humanity and the undeniable weaknesses of their flesh. 

Humility and thinking soberly about ourselves is indeed a hard truth to grapple with, but we must continuously acknowledge it as the truth. In doing so, we will be careful to not lose the zeal that originally caused us to embrace the faith that we now enjoy. The Lord has chosen to be gracious to us, and for that our lives should forever show our gratitude to Him.

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Barbara Love

This is undeniably true... Excellent Analogy

Posted on Fri, Jan 8, 2021 @ 5:40 AM CST

Emma King

What awsome encrougement in times like these.Thank You Be Bless

Posted on Fri, Jan 8, 2021 @ 6:49 AM CST

Regional Grimes

Excellent...thanks

Posted on Fri, Jan 8, 2021 @ 8:49 AM CST

Deanna

Amen ???? ????????

Posted on Fri, Jan 8, 2021 @ 3:03 PM CST

Contessa

Thank You Matthew for this wonderful and right on time devotion!!

Posted on Fri, Jan 8, 2021 @ 6:57 PM CST

Cathy Austin

I'm grateful for all He's done for me.

Posted on Mon, Jan 11, 2021 @ 8:34 AM CST

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Be Still
Jan 31 12:46 AM

Be Still

Jan 31 12:46 AM
Jan 31 12:46 AM

Author: L.B. Cowman

Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

When we have doubts or are facing difficulties, when others suggest courses of action that are conflicting, when caution dictates one approach but faith another, we should be still. We should quiet each intruding person, calm ourselves in the sacred stillness of God’s presence, study His Word for guidance, and with true devotion focus our attention on Him.

We should lift our nature into the pure light radiating from His face, having an eagerness to know only what God our Lord will determine for us.  Soon God will reveal, by His secret counsel, a distinct and unmistakable sense of His direction. It is unwise for a new believer to depend on this approach alone. He should wait for circumstances to also confirm what God is revealing. Yet Christians who have had many experiences in their walk with Him know the great value of the secret counsel of the Lord as a means of discerning His will.

Are you uncertain about which direction you should go? Take your question to God and receive guidance from either the light of His smile or the cloud of His refusal. You must get alone with Him, where the lights and the darkness of this world cannot interfere and where the opinions of others cannot reach you. You must also have the courage to wait in silent expectation, even when everyone around you is insisting on an immediate decision or action. If you will do these things, the will of God will become clear to you. And you will have a deeper concept of who He is, having more insight into His nature and His heart of love. All this will be your unsurpassed gift. It will be a heavenly experience, a precious eternal privilege, and the rich reward for the long hours of waiting. DAVID

Keep still! When trouble is brewing, keep still! When slander is getting on its legs, keep still! When your feelings are hurt, keep still till you recover from your excitement at any rate! Things look different through an unagitated eye. In a commotion once I wrote a letter and sent it and wished I had not. In my later years I had another commotion and wrote another long letter; my life had rubbed a little sense into me, and I kept that letter in my pocket until I could look it over without agitation, and without tears, and I was glad I did—less and less it seemed necessary to send it. I was not sure it would do any harm, but in my doubtfulness, I learned reticence, and eventually it was destroyed. Time works wonders!

Wait till you can speak calmly and then perhaps you will not need to speak. Silence is the most powerful thing conceivable, sometimes. It is strength in its grandeur; it is like a regiment ordered to stand still in the mad fury of battle. To plunge in were twice as easy. Nothing is lost by learning to keep still. HANNAH WHITALL SMITH

I do not believe we have even begun to understand the wonderful power there is in being still. We are in such a hurry, always doing, that we are in danger of not allowing God the opportunity to work. You may be sure that God will never say to us, “Stand still,” “Sit still,” or “Be still,” unless He is going to do something. This is our problem regarding the Christian life: we want to do something to be Christians, instead of allowing Him to work in us. Think of how still you stand when your picture is being taken, as the photographer captures your likeness on film. God has one eternal purpose for us: that we should be “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29 KJV). But in order for that to happen, we must stand still. We hear so much today about being active, but maybe we need to learn what it means to be quiet.  Perhaps we simply need to learn to be still and watch God work out the details that challenged us so greatly and caused us so much distress.  You will find that He works wonders if we can just still our hearts and sit before Him until He speaks.

PRAYER

Oh Lord, You know my heart better than I know it myself. You know my struggles and You hold each hope and fear in Your caring hands. Teach me, LORD, to be still and to know that You are God.  I trust in You alone.  In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

An excerpt from the book: "Streams in the Desert: Morning and Evening"

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