What Did You Do to Deserve This? Nothing!

Midweek Meditation                 Deuteronomy 7:6,    Ephesians 2:6-10

Someone gives you a gift. Do you say, “I don’t deserve this, why would you choose me?” or “How much do I owe you for this gift?” Hopefully not. Hopefully your response is a simple, sincere “Thank you.”

Deuteronomy 7:6 –…The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

You have been given the most extraordinary gift - chosen by God and given His grace, the gift of salvation. You may wonder why…what did you do that was so extraordinary He chose you to be His treasured child? Did your hard work and kind acts earn you enough “points” to receive His grace? Absolutely not! There is nothing you can do to make God choose you and you can’t buy or earn His grace. Grace is a truly free gift.

It’s often hard for us to believe that God would handpick us for such gifts, but He did. Take time to think about that truth – though you did nothing to deserve it, God chose you and gifted you with His grace. Take that in deeply, believe it, own it…then respond to the Sovereign One with gratitude, praise, and joy!

Becki Bork

Even the Wind Obeys

Read Mark 4:35-39

Why God?

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with His head on a cushion. The disciples woke Him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t You care that we’re going to drown?” (Mark 4:38 NLT)

The disciples, many of whom were seasoned fishermen, believed their lives to be at risk. They had, no doubt tried every sailing trick in the book to stay alive. Finally, out of desperation, maybe out of anger, they lashed out at their sleeping leader: “Teacher, don’t You care if we drown?”

Have you ever said those same words to Jesus? Maybe it was because of the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one or close friend. You may not have spoken those exact words, but your body language, your attitude, your unspoken words spoke volumes.

“Don’t You care if I drown, Jesus? Why haven’t You done anything? Or, why have You let this happen?”

We’ve all been there. Like the disciples, we are human with human weaknesses. Yet God has a plan for your life which means that you are a part of something bigger than anyone can imagine.

God is always with you; always at work in your life.

QUESTIONS:

1. How do you respond to adversity in your life?

2. What are some ways that you have seen God at work in your life through adverse circumstances?

PRAYER:

Father, open my eyes to Your work in my life. Show me how I can be a part of Your plan and to trust You.

Joe Williams

Tremble In AWE

Read Jeremiah 5:22 

In seasonal transition, summer is passing the torch to fall. As I write, outside the palladium window I see the beautiful sunrise with radiant shades of pink and purple. It’s awesome!

The first time I heard a live performance of Handel’s Messiah I was filled with awe. I sat alone for a while in the auditorium worshiping God with adoration as the Hallelujah Chorus echoed in my heart. Every Advent season I look for a time and place to hear again the Messiah.

George Frideric Handel composed Messiah with little sleep or food. He never left his house during the three weeks he was writing. A friend who visited found him sobbing with intense emotion. As Handel described what he had experienced, he alluded to Saint Paul's words, “Whether I was in my body or out of my body when I wrote it, I know not.” When he completed the Hallelujah Chorus, he told his servant, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne with a company of Angels” (Revelation 19:6).

This awe and adoration must be a small measure of what Jeremiah sensed when he wrote this verse.

QUESTIONS:

1. What grips your soul? Is awe by itself worship of God?

2. How do you move from awe to adoration?

PRAYER:

Father, open to me the mysteries of the Gospel of Your Christ Jesus. Fill my whole being with the presence of Your Holy Spirit.

Diane Ward

The Angel's Song

Read  Luke 2:8-20

It’s Christmas Eve! The anticipation of Christmas is at its height! Tonight, we will join together at church in praise and celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Some of my favorite parts of the Christmas Eve service are the songs. When I sit at the front of the sanctuary, the whole church seems bursting with song behind me. Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World and the many others we know by heart are sung with joy and enthusiasm. Can you even imagine this in comparison to the angels singing in response to the birth of Jesus?

The shepherds were a witness to this song and the incredible news of the Messiah’s birth. They could tell it was a big deal! They then hurried to the village to see what had happened and they knew what the angel told them was true. Upon returning to their flocks, they too were glorifying and praising God. I imagine they were in complete and utter awe at what they had seen and heard.

Let us do the same today to the good news of Jesus’ birth. Let us be so in awe and wonder at this gift, that we are moved to abandoned, unrestrained praise.

QUESTIONS:

1. How does this scripture stir your heart to worship?

2. How do you respond to the news of Jesus’ birth? How can it be more like the angel's response?

PRAYER:

Lord, I ask You to give me eyes to see You in fresh ways this Christmas and worship You through my words, actions and singing.

Kirsten Svendsen

I AM

Read John 8:48-58

The religious elite of Jesus' day were furious that huge crowds were following Jesus. He was a threat to them; He upset their carefully constructed power structure. In John 8:53, they try to catch Jesus in a lie: "Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do You think You are?" That simple question cuts to the heart of our faith because it's not about rules; it's about Jesus.

Who do YOU think Jesus is? That is a question that we ALL must answer. Jesus tells them that "before Abraham was born, I am!" (v. 58). Yes, Jesus and the Father are one. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. He came that we might have life, and have it abundantly. All we have to do is acknowledge His Lordship, and confess our sins, and He will grant us eternal life.

Jesus is the light of the world. Don't hide from Him. He loves you and He is waiting for you—right now. Open your Bible and lean on His truth, His hope, His guidance. He is a good and perfect Savior.

QUESTIONS:

1. Jesus is the great I Am. How will that make a difference in your life this week?

2. Whom do you care about? Who needs to hear about Jesus this week? How can you come alongside this friend and share the good news?

PRAYER:

Lord, You are the great I AM. You died for me. I can't do anything to earn my salvation. Thank You for Your grace. Amen.

Elaine Pierce

God is eternal

28 November                         

Scripture Reading

Read Jeremiah 10:10-13 and reflect on the passage.

I am realizing that the older I become, the faster time seems to go by. 10 years ago seemed like yesterday. Even the huge issues in my life from 5 years ago still seem fresh in my memory, despite being so far beyond them. In this passage, Jeremiah reminds us how beyond our understanding God really is. When I think of the years in my life that seem to pass so quickly, I often wonder how God feels about the entire course of history. Is everything—all of time—just a quick blink for Him?

If it is, I wonder why it all mattered. Why did He even create the earth and us for this tiny blip on His eternal timeline? We are often caught up in the “life-changing” drama of each and every week—in the Church there can often be quite a bit of drama! And yet God endures the entire drama of all of humanity, and He chose to create us, love us, and truly be with us in every one of those moments. The eternal God who “made the earth by His power,” “established the world by His wisdom,” and “stretched out the heavens by His understanding” is with us.

Questions

1.      Think about how big God is. Does it surprise you that He would choose to create us and the world we know?

2.      Is there drama going on around you? If God, as big as He is, chooses to be with us in our drama, do you honestly believe He is in control?

Prayer

Everlasting God, we thank You today for choosing to create us and the life we know. We thank You that You are with us in good times and bad, and we trust in Your provisions and plans for our lives. Amen.

—Andrew Fuller