Teach Me Lord

     At church this morning, we sang this beautiful hymn about the walk of a believer, a follower of Christ, and how as Christians, we must seek to obey the Lord and follow after Him.  The words from this hymn really encouraged me and challenged me to grow in my faith!

~Teach Me O Lord~

"Teach me, O Lord, thy way of truth, And from it

I will not depart; That I may steadfastly obey, Give me an understanding heart. 

In thy commandments make me walk, For in thy law my joy shall be; 

Give me a heart that loves thy will, From discontentment and envy free. 

Turn thou mine eyes from vanity, And cause me in thy ways to tread; 

O let thy servant prove thy Word And thus to godly fear be led. 

Turn thou away reproach and fear; Thy righteous judgments I confess;

To know thy precepts I desire; Revive me in thy righteousness." 

   This hymn was a good reminder for me to keep my eyes on the truth contained in God's Holy Word and to find my joy in knowing my King.  I want to walk in the way of truth and to know His precepts! I pray He will give me an understanding heart!!

~Grow in Grace~

2 Peter 3:18 

Our Great Sustainer!

"For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" 

"Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?"  

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  

To Him be glory forever.  Amen."

Romans 11:34-36

    Verse 34 of this verse is from Isaiah 40:13.  Reading in the commentary on this passage from the O.T., it says, "Isaiah pointed to the incomparable wisdom of God.  Paul alluded to this verse in connection with God's wisdom in dealing with Jews and Gentiles (Romans 11:34-36) and with God's impartation (communication) of wisdom to the spiritual believer (1 Corinthians 2:16).

    As read in verse 36 of Romans chapter 11, God is indeed the source, the sustainer, and the rightful end of everything that exists.

   What does it mean to 'sustain'?  The dictionary defines this word as, "strengthen or support physically or mentally. To undergo and to suffer. Uphold, affirm, or confirm the justice or validity of." 

   Jesus Christ is indeed our great Sustainer!  He chose to suffer at the cross on our behalf.  He underwent great persecution, pain, and humiliation for the cause of our salvation.  He upheld, affirmed, and confirmed our salvation because of the cross.  He bore our sins at Calvary, He received the punishment for our wicked deeds, He endured the wrath of God in death, but He victoriously validated His deity in the resurrection.   He is our great Sustainer!!!  

   Truly, "of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things"  (v. 36).  

Are you looking to Christ as your great Sustainer?  

~Grow in Grace~ 

1 Peter 3:18 

Growing in Love

   I just read this devotional and found it very encouraging and also convicting!

"How can we develop our love for God so that our obedience is prompted by love instead of some lesser motive?  The Scripture gives us our first clue, or beginning point, when it says, 'We love because he first loved us' (1 John 4:19).  Our love to God can only be a response to His love for us.  If I don't believe God loves me, I cannot love Him.  to love God, I must believe that He is for me, not against me (Romans 8:31) and that He accepts me as a son or daughter, not a slave (Galatians 4:7). 

What would keep us from believing God loves us?  The answer is a sense of guilt and condemnation because of our sin.  the same tender conscience that enables us to become aware of sins that lie deep beneath the level of external actions can also load us down with guilt.  When we're under that burden and sense of condemnation, it is difficult to love God or believe that He loves us.  

We cannot love God if we think we're under His judgement and condemnation.  James Fraser said, 'But whilst the conscience retains the charge of guilt, condemnation, and wrath, there cannot be purity, or sincerity of heart toward God, or sincerity of the love of God.  Human nature is so formed that it cannot love any object that is adverse and terrible to it.'

This means we must continually take those sins that our consciences accuse us of to the cross and plead the cleaning blood of Jesus.  Only the blood of Christ cleanses our consciences so that we may no longer feel guilty (Hebrews 9:14, 10:2). 

~Jerry Bridges~

"The Lord is on my side" (Psalm 118:6).

~Grow in Grace~ 

2 Peter 3:18

Cruise Control or Race Car?

{"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." - 1 John 5:3}

   I read the following devotional this morning that discusses more of this verse in 1 John:

"If we're to love God with all our heart and soul and mind, and if obedience is a major part of such love, it follows that we're to obey Him with all our heart, soul, and mind.  We're to put everything we have into obedience to Him.

Most of us believers practice what I call a "cruise-control" approach to obedience.  We press the pedal of obedience until we've brought our behavior up to a certain level or speed, which is most often determined by the behavior standard of other Christians around us.  We don't want to lag behind them, nor are we eager to gorge ahead.  We want to just comfortably blend in.  Once we have arrived at this comfortable level of obedience, we push the cruise-control button in our hearts, ease back, and relax.  We don't have to watch the speed limit signs in God's Word, and we certainly don't have to experience the fatigue that comes with striving to obey Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. 

By contrast consider race-car drivers.  They wouldn't think of using cruise control.  They're not interested in blending in with hose around them.  They want to win the race.  So they're totally focused on their driving.  They try to pus their car to the outer limits of its mechanical ability and endurance, and press themselves to the limits of their skill.  They're driving with all their heart, soul, and mind.

This is what it means to love and obey God with all our heart, soul, and mind.  It means striving for holiness, in the words of Hebrews 12:14.  It means making every effort to add to our faith the various facets of Christian character, in the words of 1 Peter 1:5-7."

~Jerry Bridges~

Holiness Day by Day Devotional

     So, are you one who uses cruise control or are you a race car driver?  

~Grow in Grace~ 

2 Peter 3:18 

Sufficiency of Scripture

I read this on an other blog I follow via twitter, and it was very good.  Please, I would highly recommend you taking a moment and reading the following.

"The desires of the heart are not unchangeable. God never promises to give you what you want, to meet your felt needs and longings. He tells you to be ruled by other, different desires. This is radical. God promises to change what you really want! God insists that He be first, and all lesser loves be radically subordinate…

God challenges the things that everybody, everywhere eagerly pursues (Matt. 6:32). What desires of body and mind (Eph. 2:3) do people naturally follow? Consider our characteristic passions: desires of the body include life itself, air, health, water, food, clothing, shelter, sexual pleasure, rest, and exercise. Desires of the mind include happiness, being loved, meaning, money and possessions, respect, status, accomplishment, self-esteem, success, control, power, self-righteousness, aesthetic pleasure, knowledge, marriage and family. Must these rule our lives? They did not rule Jesus’ life. Can these cravings really be changed? The Bible says Yes, and points us to the promises of God: to indwell us with power, to write truth on our hearts, to pour out His love in our hearts, to enable us to say “Abba, Father.”

As we have seen, many of these things are not bad in themselves. The evil in our desires does not lie in what we want, but in the fact that we want it too much. Our desires for good things seize the throne, becoming idols that replace the King. God refuses to serve our instinctive longings, but commands us to be ruled by other longings. What God commands, He provides the power to accomplish: He works in us both the willing and the doing of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:12-13)." 

 ~By Melissa Griffen 

"Beauty Supplements" 

    I pray that the Lord would continually transform my desires into His!  The Christian life is not a life of drudgery, despair, and feelings of lost ambition and dreams, but as we seek Christ daily, we will be fulfilled and satisfied by what He continually does in us.  Will it be difficult at times, of course. Will we have desires that may not be fulfilled right away or at all, yes, but as we continually cling to Him, there is a joy that will abound that is far above anything we could ever wish or dream for!  As Melissa touched on, our desires may change as He transforms our life.  Seek Him friends, and find true, everlasting joy! 

Have a great Wednesday! 

~Grow in Grace~ 

2 Peter 3:18 

Like Moses

   I was reading Exodus 4:10-12 the other day, and this passage really "struck home" for me.  In the context of the chapter, God is calling Moses to return to Egypt and go before the evil King, Pharaoh, declaring that he must let Israel go.  After receiving this instruction from the Lord, Moses became very aware of his inability to do so.

    As it states in vv 10-12, "Then Moses said to the Lord, 'O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.'  So the Lord said to him, 'Who has made man's mouth?  Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind?  Have not I, the Lord?  Now therefore, go and I will be your mouth and teach you what you shall say.'"

    Wow.  As I was reading that, I was just so comforted and even a bit ashamed because at times I fell like Moses.  I can almost relate to him because I am not very eloquent in speech nor am I one to communicate very well at times.  I stumble over my words and thinking on the spot is not one of my strong point.  Well, it seems like this is the difficulty Moses had as well.  Imagine, going before the King of Egypt and declaring to him, "Let my people go", confronting his evil ways and basically declaring to him that he is not in control.  If I ever was told to do such a thing, I would run for the hills!!!  I am sure Moses felt like doing so, but the Lord graciously and kindly corrected his thinking.

    I love what the Lord said, "Who has made man's mouth?  Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind?  Have not I, the Lord?  Now therefore, go and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say."  The study notes in my Bible say this about vv. 11-12, "Three rhetorical questions from God shut the door on any complaints or criticisms about being clumsy of speech.  The follow-up command, 'Therefore go!' including its promise of divine help in speech forbade all such objections.'

     So many times I feel like Moses.  I focus so much on my inability and stop at that instead of realizing that yes, I may have insecurities and supposed inefficiencies in areas, but I need to then set my eyes on the One who ultimately is in control and who will be at work through me despite my doubts.  He made me, He made my mouth, and He is very capable of using it despite my inabilities.

   We all can be like Moses at times, but use those moments to then redirect your thinking and pray to the One who is our great Helper and Provider!  Trust in Him, and He will guide you!

Have a great Tuesday, friends!

~Grow in Grace~ 

2 Peter 3:18 

I Have a Big God!

   For the past couple of weeks I have been making my way through the book of Exodus.  I currently have read my way up to the 9th chapter.  The reason I began studying this great book is because I knew that I needed to be reminded of who my God is. 

    I regularly forget how BIG and GREAT  He really is.  In reading through Exodus, I am being reminded of His majesty and glory.


    Seeing His divine hand in raising Moses up as Israel's deliverer, seeing His power and might displayed in Egypt against Pharaoh, and seeing His loving kindness and mercy towards His people Israel, is incredible to read and to really think about...THIS God is my God!  I pray to the same God that Moses cried out to, the same God who mightily worked in Egypt, and who dealt so graciously with Israel.  Wow!

   Isn't that just so neat to think about?!  I need to focus on who God is by reading these passages of scripture because I know that I am forgetful and become distracted. 

    I call these passages of scripture, such as Exodus 6-12, "Big God Passages" because it reveals SO emphatically how mighty and great God is.

     I need to be constantly reminded of who my God is and what He has done.  How easily I forget.

I would encourage you this week to read some "Big God Passages", and really meditate on them.

Have a good start to your week!

~Grow in Grace~ 

2 Peter 3:18 

Resting in the Joy!!

This is such a beautiful hymn: 

Jesus, I am resting, resting  In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power Thou hast made me whole.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart –
Satisfies its deepest longings, meets, supplies its ev’ry need,
Compasseth me round with blessings: Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory, Sunshine of my father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting, Fill me with Thy grace.

Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art,
I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.

( Jean Sophia Pigott, 1845-1882)

Are you resting in the joy of the Lord?!