Despite the coldness and the sermon being re-iterated bi-lingually, I didn't mind at all. It was very refreshing. It resonated within me...this urging I've had within, of the need to remember Him, all these years. Many a times have I lost perspective of things because I forget.
I forget His enablement, His calling, His holiness, His discipline, His forgiveness, His grace, His ability, His presence...
...no wonder things feel out of control. No wonder the lack of the peace and joy He left to us. No wonder we find it hard to extend grace or forgive others. No wonder we take Him, and each other for granted. No wonder we fail to see the importance and purpose of His body and our gatherings. No wonder lost loves cripple us.
A reminder then.
Remember our plight, remember His might.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come and the years approach
when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"
before the days of trouble come and the years approach
when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"
Ecclesiastes 12:1
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“When we were unable to help ourselves, at the moment of our need, Christ died for us.”Romans 5:6
God did for us what I did for one of my daughters in the shop at New York’s La Guardia Airport.
The sign above the ceramic pieces read 'Do Not Touch'. But the wanting was stronger than the warning, and she touched. And it fell. By the time I looked up, ten-year-old Sara was holding the two pieces of a New York City skyline. Next to her was an unhappy store manager. Over them both was the written rule. Between them hung a nervous silence. My daughter had no money. He had no mercy.
So I stepped in. “How much do we owe you?” I asked.
How was it that I owed anything? Simple. She was my daughter. And since she could not pay, I did.
Since you and I cannot pay, Christ did. We’ve broken so much more than souvenirs. We’ve…broken God’s heart.
With the law on the wall and shattered commandments on the floor, Christ steps near (like a neighbor) and offers a gift (like a Savior).
a Max Lucado devotional,
May 14th
May 14th