Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Free gift

The broadcast on Desiring God Radio these past few days has been entitled "The Free Gift of God is Eternal Life" on Romans 6:23 which says in ESV: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." I realized the word "free" is not in the NIV. Though I know that's usually what a gift is--something free. But I am reminded once again that there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn or deserve this gift of God. It is absolutely free. It is all by the substitutionary sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ for OUR sins.

This Thanksgiving, above all things, we as a family want to give thanks to our God for this free gift. Caleb has learned this past year to say prayers. Whenever we gather to pray, he calls it a "prayer meeting." What joyful opportunity it is to give thanks to God and to teach a three-year-old for what he is ultimately giving thanks.

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Friday, November 17, 2006

Though the fig tree does not bud...

No breakthrough with my chronic stomach ailments--some of you may want to know. But this is good--to keep me from becoming conceited, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, and to once again put in perspective what the prophet Habukkak says:
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the
vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no
food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the
stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my
Savior.

How does one do that?? All by the grace of God, and recognizing that "in this life, our suffering is never as great or as serious as our sins.... it will always be less than what we have deserved for our sins." (Humility: True Greatness, C. J. Mahaney) Blessed be the name of the Lord!

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