We are notorious for our human efforts to prove our worthiness before God and each other.  We provide and create elaborate ways and schemes just to prove to ourselves that we are not who we appear to be, but are people who can transform ourselves into loving, acceptable, and quality people who live our lives with purpose and meaning.  That’s our delusion and an illusion.  The truth is we have failed to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength.  We have failed to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  We have failed to live in faithfulness to God or to one another. And therein lies our mistake.  By creating our own entry way into a life of faith, we have broadened the road and widened the gate of life to the point that whatever we do runs the chance of leading not only ourselves, but others away from all that God has done to make a way for us.

         But God has provided a way for us to enter into relationship and life with the God of all creation.  The gate that allows entry onto the road that leads to life is much narrower than the gates of our own self-made means of entry.  The gate God has provided for us is a gate that takes care of all our needs and provides grace for any shortcomings that we might have upon entering.  That narrow gate is the grace of God offered by faith in Jesus Christ.  That is the gate by which we must enter that leads to life.  And while there may be few that find it, God’s grace is the only way through which we can enter.  Again, God has shown us that those things we can’t provide for ourselves, God has provided.  God remains our everything — everything we need to have life and have it abundantly.

• Have you ever tried to negotiate a deal with God to secure your salvation in a particular situation?
• Did you ever come to realize that “God’s grace was sufficient for you” in your weakened and helpless condition?
• How did that confirm that God was your everything?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Merciful God, thank You for providing an entry onto the road of life that doesn’t require my creativity. You are my everything and have provided everything for me to live.

         A prominent quote from Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, says, “… to thine own self be true.”  There is something important about living with integrity of self.  If, in fact, we can do that — live with self‑integrity — then we can avoid the issue of self-hypocrisy.  This is important because we claim our relationship to God because we believe that God has called us to live for a higher purpose.  That faith then promotes the idea that integrity of self is raised to a higher level.  It requires that we lean on a more profound wisdom than our own — the wisdom of God by whom we were called.  It requires that we hear a clearer voice of spiritual reasoning than our own.  It requires a level of faith and trust in God that goes beyond our own righteousness.  It literally places us at a level of faith and trust in God that assures we will never stumble (trip ourselves up based on our own wisdom.). There is still something profoundly wise about the proverb that instructs us saying,

       5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

             and do not rely on your own insight.

       6 In all your ways acknowledge him,

             and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God will make straight our paths.  And as Peter says, “ … if we do these things, we will never stumble.”  For how can we stumble if we are walking the path that our God has made straight for us?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, we express our gratitude for the guidance, wisdom, and care that enables us to live secure and productive lives through faithfulness to You.

         Our response to those who have been good to us often varies with each individual.  Our responses can run the gamut from awed silence to outrageous screams of joy.  There can be moments of tearful, unspoken gratitude to unexpected shock that leaves us dumbstruck.  How we show our gratitude is less important than that we show our gratitude and appreciation to the one who has heard our cries for mercy, protected us and responded to us in ways that have earned our trusts because of their faithfulness to do for us what they said they would do.  To that person, praise and honor are not only earned, but they are deserved.

         Praise is the natural response of God’s people when we acknowledge all that God has done for us.  When we know that God has not just heard our cries for mercy, but has answered our cries with grace our only response should be those of praise and gratitude, acknowledging that God is not only all we need, but God is also our everything — our shelter from the storm, our strength and our shield, the one in whom we trust because he has helped us over and over again.  That kind of faithfulness deserves a vocal shout of Hallelujah!

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, give me the strength to continue proclaiming my praise for all You do as I acknowledge that You are my everything.