Grace and Peace

I am a blessed man.  That is true in a multitude of areas, but particularly this morning I am thinking about the blessing of my wife.  Yesterday, we spent most of the day together and took a little side trip to Raleigh to see a musical.  From the ride to and from Raleigh to the the musical (it was a great production of the Wizard of Oz) to the meal shared together at On the Border to our devotion time and prayer just before going to sleep, yesterday was a blessed time of relaxation and fellowship with the love of my life.  God smiled on me in a big way when He brought Becky into my life and heart.  I am so thankful He did!

    Proverbs 31 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

    10 Who can find a capable wife?
    She is far more precious than jewels.

    11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will not lack anything good.

    12 She rewards him with good, not evil,
    all the days of her life.

    13 She selects wool and flax
    and works with willing hands.

    14 She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from far away.

    15 She rises while it is still night
    and provides food for her household
    and portions for her servants.

    16 She evaluates a field and buys it;
    she plants a vineyard with her earnings.

    17 She draws on her strength
    and reveals that her arms are strong.

    18 She sees that her profits are good,
    and her lamp never goes out at night.

    19 She extends her hands to the spinning staff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.

    20 Her hands reach out to the poor,
    and she extends her hands to the needy.

    21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows,
    for all in her household are doubly clothed.

    22 She makes her own bed coverings;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.

    23 Her husband is known at the city gates,
    where he sits among the elders of the land.

    24 She makes and sells linen garments;
    she delivers belts to the merchants.

    25 Strength and honor are her clothing,
    and she can laugh at the time to come.

    26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and loving instruction is on her tongue.

    27 She watches over the activities of her household
    and is never idle.

    28 Her sons rise up and call her blessed.
    Her husband also praises her:

    29 "Many women are capable,
    but you surpass them all!"

    30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,
    but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised.

    31 Give her the reward of her labor,
    and let her works praise her at the city gates.

I was studying and writing today in Philippians 3 where Paul the Apostle contrasts his life as a Pharisee and his life as a follower of Christ.  He writes, "that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.  (Philippians 3:8b-9 Holman Christian Standard Bible)."  Paul understood the value of a grace righteousness as opposed to a works righteousness.

Not long after that study time, I took a break to read a few of the blogs that contribute to the debate in SBC life and came across this excellent commentary by Marty Duren entitled, Fundamentalism vs Grace.  I urge you to read it and celebrate the marvelous grace with which God has saved us.  If I could add anything to that commentary, it would be a word of caution that freedom has responsibilities.  But freedom and grace are, none the less, to be celebrated and enjoyed.

If you are looking for a daily devotional guide that will turn your heart to the nations, let me recommend Voices of the Faithful.  It is a volume where each daily entry is written by an international missionary.  The introduction to the book and each months introduction is written by Beth Moore.  Together the missionaries and Moore have crafted a devotional guide that will engage your heart and mind.

I just came from sharing lunch with friends from out of town.  It had been a couple of years since I had seen Jim and Pam and it was a joy to sit and talk with them.  This visit our fellowship was enlivened with, Abbie, their beautiful daughter.  As I watched her enjoy hushpuppies and fried chicken, I couldn't help but think back to when I first encountered her mom and dad.  Jim and Pam were young singles that attended our church fellowship.  Both were musically talented and committed to a walk with Christ. 

Across the months, their friendship blossomed and soon they were talking about marriage.  I remember meeting with them and talking about their impending wedding.  I sensed in them a desire to honor the Lord with their marriage ceremony and their life together.  It was a joy to be a part of their wedding and part of their life.  God blessed me and my family through their friendship and Christian example.

Now there I was some eight plus years later watching them feed their infant daughter.  The tenderness and love that flowed from parent to child stirred my heart.  I looked across the table at my 22 year old daughter and remembered the moments we had shared  so long ago with fondness.  It was at that moment that I silently stopped and thanked God for his surpising grace.

Surprising grace is everywhere.  It is in a baby's smile and the smile of a 22 year old you remember as a baby.  It is in a newly married couple's first kiss and in the knowing look of a couple celebrating their fiftieth anniversary. 

God meets us not just in stained glass sancturaries, but in the middle of life...with hushpuppy crumbs on the table and old friends nearby.  God makes any place and any time holy ground.  We love to departmentalize our lives and classify this part sacred and another part secular.  We want God's presence and favor when we are in church or when there is a need in our life, but many other times we act as if we can leave God back on some shelf with our dusty Bible.  It doesn't work like that!

We live our lives in His very presence.  Psalm 139, verses 1-18 states this truth in wonderful verse:

    1 LORD, You have searched me and known me.

    2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
    You understand my thoughts from far away.

    3 You observe my travels and my rest;
    You are aware of all my ways.

    4 Before a word is on my tongue,
    You know all about it, LORD.

    5 You have encircled me;
    You have placed Your hand on me.

    6 [This] extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.
    It is lofty; I am unable to [reach] it.

    7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from Your presence?

    8 If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.

    9 If I live at the eastern horizon
    [or] settle at the western limits,

    10 even there Your hand will lead me;
    Your right hand will hold on to me.

    11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me,
    and the light around me will become night" —

    12 even the darkness is not dark to You.
    The night shines like the day;
    darkness and light are alike to You.

    13 For it was You who created my inward parts;
    You knit me together in my mother's womb.

    14 I will praise You,
    because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
    Your works are wonderful,
    and I know [this] very well.

    15 My bones were not hidden from You
    when I was made in secret,
    when I was formed in the depths of the earth.

    16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
    all [my] days were written in Your book and planned
    before a single one of them began.

    17 God, how difficult Your thoughts are
    for me [to comprehend];
    how vast their sum is!

    18 If I counted them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand;
    when I wake up, I am still with You.

Not only do we live in His presence, but He invites us to know the riches of His grace.  Those who accept His gift of grace through the work of Jesus are just starting the journey.  We are not only saved by grace, but we are kept by grace.  In fact, as the old song reminds us..."it is grace twill lead us home."  His surprising, sustaining, life changing grace surrounds us like a flood.  Let's learn to open our eyes and see Him at work all around us.  And by the way, don't just enjoy His grace and keep it to yourself; instead be a channel of His grace in the lives of others.

I woke up today with the startled realization that I am beginning the second half of 2006.  How can that be?  Half of the year is already gone and I find myself wondering when our space time continuum accelerated to warp speed?

Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up.  It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.

Every morning a lion wakes up.  It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.  When the sun comes up, you better start running.