Thoughts of Grace

Good Morning

“We’re doing our best setting things right.”
2 Corinthians 6:7, The Message

In 1907 Grant C. Tullar wrote,

“Hear ye the Master’s call, ‘Give Me thy best!’
For, be it great or small, that is His test.
Do then the best you can, not for reward,
not for the praise of man — but for the Lord.
Every work for Jesus will be blessed;
but He asks from everyone his best.
Our talents may be few, these may be small —
but unto Him is due our best, our all.”

Are you giving your best?
Or, like so many others,
do you just cruise along merely doing only what is acceptable.

Paul the Apostle said,

“Whether we are at home with the Lord or away from him, we still try our best to please him”
(2 Corinthians 5:9 CEV).

Indeed, we are called to do our best
at setting things right in a world gone wrong.
Nothing more could be asked,
and nothing less would be acceptable.

The story is told of how the great Leonardo Da Vinci
had started work on a large canvas in his studio.
A few of his students watched as he worked at it —
choosing the subject,
planning the perspective,
sketching the outline,
and applying the colors;
all with his own inimitable genius.
Then he unexpectedly paused,
the painting still unfinished,
and, summoning one of his students,
invited him to step up and complete the work.
The student protested that he was unworthy
and unable to complete the great painting
which his master had begun.
But Da Vinci answered,
“Will not what I have done inspire you to do your best?”

Do you think that Jesus might be saying a similar thing to you?
Your life can honor God greatly,
and benefit some many others in positive and lasting ways.
Everything you need
for this has already been provided by Jesus.
Believe it,
take hold of it,
press on with it,
and give it your best shot.
Surely you can do no less,
seeing how much He has done already.

Finish the painting, my friend —
for Jesus believes in you.  Rylie

Great or Small. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

the Farmer has dug up all the grass at Cozy Acres,
defined two flower areas with river rock borders,
planted flowers I brought home from Grandma Crain’s
and hopes to sow grass seed this week.

Good Morning

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.  James 4:8

Perhaps nothing diverts us from focused living
more than our concept of success.
Published studies inform us
of what conveys power in body language,
business lunches, and the cars we strive.
We ‘dress for success.’
Society is not only preoccupied with the image of success,
but for the most part is dependent on
someone else to define success. . . .
Was Jesus successful?
He had no home of his own.
The successful people of His day viewed Him skeptically,
if not with hostility.
His followers were a ragtag bunch
without social or political influence.
And even this motley crew fell away
as He approached the Cross.
None of His disciples
accompanied Him in His darkest hour.
He had neither wealth, political power,
or unusual physical beauty. . .
Jesus measured His own success by one criterion:
“I came. . .not to my will
but to do the will of him who sent me” John 6:38.
“I finished the work.”
Jean Fleming Finding Focus in a Whirlwind World

Seeking to follow God . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Advice from Taco Bell

Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
Psalm 119:24

How do you feel when you find
that wad of cash you hid
in your sock drawer for safekeeping
and forgot about?
Or when you find the diamond
that dropped out of your engagement ring?
Or when you find the child
who got away from you
in the shopping mall and wandered out of your sight.

You rejoice.

For each is a rich treasure,
and finding it brings joy.
But God’s Word offers so much more.
Unlike any other treasure
it offers peace of mind
to those who love and pursue it.
Unlike any valuable,
the Word of God gives strength, vigor,
and energy to live
without stumbling in weariness or fear.
Open your spiritual treasure chest today
and dig deep.

Peter Wallace, What the Psalmist is Saying to You Today

Digging . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

the Farmer’s chickens are busy.

Good Morning

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith means
putting our full confidence in the things we hope for,
it means being certain of things we cannot see.

Romans 8:24-25
We were saved by this hope,
but in our moments of impatience
let us remember
that hope always means waiting
for something that we haven’t yet got.
But if we hope for something we cannot see,
then we must settle down to wait for it in patience.

J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Hoping . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

Good Morning,

Daniel 6:16,19-22
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel,
and cast him into the den of lions.
Now the king spake and said unto Daniel,
Thy God whom thou servest continually,
he will deliver thee.
. . . Then the king arose very early in the morning,
and went in haste unto the den of lions.
And when he came to the den,
he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel:
and the king spake and said to Daniel,
O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God,
whom thou servest continually,
able to deliver thee from the lions?
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths,
that they have not hurt me:
forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me;
and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

Look at Jonah in the fish belly–
surrounded by gastric juices and sucked in seaweed. . .
He prays. . .
Before he can say amen,
the belly convulses,
the fish belches,
and Jonah lands face first on the beach.

Look at Daniel in the lions’ den;
his prospects aren’t much better than Jonah’s.
Jonah had been swallowed,
and Daniel is about to be . . .

Or look at Joseph in the pit,
a chalky hole in a hot desert.
The lid had been pulled over the top
and the wool had been pulled over his eyes. . .
Like Jonah and Daniel,
Joseph is trapped.
He is out of options.
There is no exit.
There is no hope. . .
Though the road to the palace
takes a detour through a prison,
it eventually ends up at the throne. . .

Such are the stories in the Bible.
One near death experience after another.
Just when the neck is on the chopping block,
just when the noose is around he neck.
Calvary comes.
Max Lucado He Still Moves Stones

HE is just the same . . . Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

You are my rock and my fortress;
therefore, for Your name’s sake,
lead me ad guide me.
Psalm 31:5

God made us originally like Himself,
and when the human race
fell into willful disobedience,
we all lost something.

We lost the clear-cut lines of the original image
of God’s character stamped on our spiritual features.
We lost the desire to glorify Him.
God want to restore that original image in our lives. . .

My mother loves antiques.
She was always busy restoring some old chunk of wood—
or so it appeared to us.
But when her work was finished,
the image that had been hidden emerged,
bringing forth admiration and praise.

To fail successfully means to decide
that He must be allowed to complete His restoring work
in our lives for His name’s sake;
To fail to follow,
and to try, try again,
until we find ourselves succeeding means that
in the end,
our lives will give praise and appreciation to Him.

After all,
the whole duty of man
is to bring glory to God.
Jill Briscoe ~~How to Follow the Shepherd

Fail successfully . . Today
With my prayers,  desiring yours,  Leslie

Good Morning

Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand. Psalm 73:23

In the Old Testament,
when the high priest went into the Most Holy Place
once a year to sprinkle the blood of the lamb
on the mercy sear to make atonement for sin,
he wore a breastplate that covered his heart and chest. . .
The breastplate was encrusted with twelve stones,
each one carved with one of the names of the tribes of Israel.
Wearing this breastplate signified
that when the high priest went into God’s presence,
he carried the names of God’s children on his heart.
The first of those stones was a carnelian.
And the last was a jasper
When John described the One Who sat on the throne,
he said He “had the appearance of jasper and carnelian” (Rev.4:3a).
A jasper was a clear stone, much like a diamond.
A carnelian, or sardus stone, had more the color of a ruby . .
It is as though John was describing God saying,
even by the colors He wore,
“I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
I carry you by name on My Heart forever.”
When seated on the throne at the center of the universe,
preparing to judge the world.
Jesus gives you and me evidence we are on His heart!
Annie Graham Lotz ~~The Vision of His Glory

Know you are near to the heat of God. . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie