Take this day to catch up on your reading, pray, and rest in the presence of the Lord.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.
—Ephesians 1:7
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27 thoughts on "Grace Day"
Day of grace. I am going to try all day to be more graceful with everyone that I encounter today in the name of our dear ABBA!
I really love this app and love reading these. I am so glad to be part of this community!
❤️
Thank you Carol M for sharing the devotional of Paul Tripp. The 2 circles are such effective tool of illustration for me to draw the lines/set healthy boundaries. This helps so much. Sometimes we take more than we can bear, yet God does not call us to bear those burdens at all, we just run ahead of Him. Each of us was made for our own purpose and territory, we each are a member of the body of Christ. Coming to God and asking God directly, Lord, what are my responsibilities in my realm of current influence and roles? I believe God will be loud and clear to each of us, for He is not the God of confusion, He does not want us to be confused either. I love the 2 circle illustration. Thank you so much Carol. God bless you!
@ Lehua K
There is SO much truth in your words. I was in a similar situation and it was also affecting my health. I stayed in the job for 12 years waiting for God to tell me to “go”. And when He started to open my heart to Trust His timing I stepped out in Faith, He grabbed my hand, and then took me on a miraculous ride out of that unhealthy situation and into something infinitely better. It’s been 3 years and I still marvel at what He did and how He did it! He is just AWESOME!!
Praying for you in your new position and for anyone else in a situation they are waiting to get out of. Trust Him and His timing and then be ready to go when He says “go”. ❤️
Carol, thank you for sharing this devotional!
I’ve been catching up with this as well as the John YouVersion study I’m doing with my Bible study group. Thank you for those who prayed for a smooth work transition for me.. I started working at my new job in Wednesday and it’s been so much better. A lot of my health challenges seem to have been caused by stress and worry, and now that I’m learning to better handle both of those (with God’s help), it’s gotten better there too.
Prayers for all those who shared challenges, especially related to work and anxiety. I feel you and my heart goes out to you, because I have been there and I know how it feels. Please know that God is still there, no matter how silent He seems to you right now. Be patient and persistent. Keep pressing and leaning in, and He will reveal Himself and His peace to you. It took awhile for me to be redeemed from my old job, and for awhile He seemed to be telling me to stay. If I had left earlier, I wouldn’t have gained the valuable work experience needed for my current job. In hindsight, it makes much more sense, but at the time it didn’t feel good at all. God works all things together for His glory and our good. Peace be with you all <3
I know my Redeemer lives!
Thank you Lord for the gift of redemption for helpless sinners like us. Thank you for giving your life, the very life of God, to regain possession of us, your people, from the powers of sin and death. We long for the day when you will make all things new and we will see our Redeemer face to face.
My soul, “wait upon God”. I begin here on this Saturday morning. Seeking first the Kingdom, I pause on the price paid for my entrance fee. The immense measure of grace poured out for me. I think of Boaz pouring out a generous measure of barley into Ruth’s cloak (Ruth 3:15). A down payment for her redemption. A pledge of intention to save her. We too have been sealed with a pledge to save us. Redeemed, paid for, bought by the life and blood of Jesus. In Him, I have all that I need to be content. His promises settle me. My questions quiet down by His answers. “For as many are the promises of God, in Him they are “yes”; therefore also through Him is the “amen” to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Our inheritance is sealed by the downpayment of the Spirit in our hearts (v. 22). My future is secure. This world is not my home. Father God, as I sit under Your glory and grace, I am weary from the world. Remind me and refresh my heart. Wash me clean from the stains of the world. Renew in me a steadfast spirit. I pour out my anxious thoughts and receive Your truth and wisdom. I remember the legacy of obedient lives woven through scripture as evidence of Your love. Thank You for settling my heart. I trust You are working all things together for Your purpose and my good. And as I lift prayers and petitions to You, I will wait. I will follow Your lead. My heart is Yours. Selah. Maranatha. Amen.
So glad we have a Reedmer and our Redeemer lives!
I loved this and copied the circles down in my journal. Thank you!
We are redeemed! We are forgiven! Thank you Jesus! Happy Saturday sweet SRT sisters!
Thank you, Angie. I was crying. Sisters, please pray for me. I am a reading intervention teacher and I really need favor and wisdom. There is a lot going on. Please pray I get the right kids. I’m learning a new method and am not secure in how to teach this. Please also pray that they become solid readers and that by God’s grace, I could represent Him well. Can never do any this on my own! Thank you!
Redemption, forgiveness, and riches of His grace, all of these and more are given to US because of GOD’S, JESUS’ AND THE HOLY SPIRIT’S NEVERENDING LOVE for us and the world. That’s so hard to grasp at times. Jesus died so ALL of this and more could be true.
This has been a beautiful study but I can’t wait to start Leviticus, I’ve been wanting to do a study of Leviticus for a while now.
Sisters be blessed and know God, Christ and the Holy Spirit love YOU no matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been or how you feel.
Father I receive the peace that comes with the knowledge that You have redeemed me by the Blood of Christ. Amen.
Love this! Thankyou!
Carol, I loved the devotional you shared! Thank you. Ruth is my mother’s name so always holds a special place in my heart ❤️. Have a wonderful weekend Shes!
CAROL M – thank you! Paul Tripp has good insights.
SARAH D – praying you can surrender your cares to Jesus.
The Leviticus study will be fantastic Shes. I hope all of you stay engaged for it because Jesus is all over it.
Amen
Reading through the book of Ruth for the third time in two weeks, I was struck by the word “kindness”. It occurs three times in this small book, once in each of the first three chapters. The first time is when Naomi blesses her daughters-in-law with God’s kindness as she entreats them to return to their homes. The second time is in chapter two when Naomi blesses Boaz for his kindness in noticing Ruth. The third time is in chapter three when Boaz praises Ruth for coming to him to ask if he will redeem Naomi and her.
In the Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon, it says that when the Bible uses this word (hesed in Hebrew), it means the following:
GOD to MAN: God’s kindness and lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of His creatures; specifically lovingkindness in redemption from enemies and trouble.
MAN to MAN: Kindness of men toward men, in doing favors and benefits.
According to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, kindness when shown by a human to another human was freely given. Also, “the help is vital, someone is in a position to help, the helper does do in his own freedom & this is the central focus.” In this same resource, it says that when God shows kindness, it’s within His covenantal relationship with Israel, but it is part of His eternal nature. It is an attitude of God as well as an action. This attitude is parallel to love and goodness. It is a kind of love, including mercy, when the object is in a pitiful state. It often takes verbs of action such as “do” or “keep”. So, it includes acts of love as well as its attribute.
The book of Ruth is definitely a book of kindness. It showcases God’s kindness in helping two widowed women without any protection or livelihood by providing them a redeemer who would protect and care for them. Boaz & Ruth are instruments of God’s kindness in their faithful obedience to God’s law and their loving acts toward each other and Naomi, especially as they are both finding ways to provide for & care for Naomi.
What a beautiful picture of how God, in His kindness, provided what we needed for our redemption from sin. He gave His Son to redeem us. His death made the way for God to forgive the debt we owed for our sin. Jesus, our Redeemer, helps to protect us from evil and temptations to sin. He provides for our needs and cares for us. He also provides opportunities for us to grow in faithful obedience to Him.
May we be ever watchful for ways where we can show God’s lovingkindness to those who need it.
P.S. I got so caught up in sharing that helpful devotional, that I completely forgot to say how much I appreciated the study of Ruth! SRT, you’ve done it again! I so appreciate how God speaks to my heart through your consistent sharing of the Truth of His Word! This book was no exception… looking forward to Leviticus! ( never thought I’d be saying that)!! ♥️
Dear Friends…I am including a devotional that has really challenged my thinking and actions. Paul Tripp’s way of addressing both anxiety and control was very helpful…and convicting…. I am involved with lots of women… and everywhere I go… these same two subjects arise… Personally, I’m thanking the Lord for this message given in “Wednesday’s Word: A Weekly Devotional” From Paul Tripp… Hope you find it to be Helpful!!
“In a world that seems so out of control, where bad things happen to you and those you love while reward falls on those who deserve the opposite, it’s hard to believe that God is sovereign.
How could the one who declares himself to be perfect, wise, good, and loving in every way also be in absolute control of the universe and let all of this happen on his watch?
Much of our regular anxiety, worry, fear, and discouragement results from thinking that when things are out of our control, they are out of control completely. But the Bible tells us that if we want to properly understand what is happening around us, we need to remember what’s happening above us.
As a being made in the image of God, you are a meaning maker. Because we’ve been given intellectual and conceptual abilities, we have a hunger to know, a desire for life to make sense, and a determination to understand.
These are all excellent qualities, and the Bible encourages growth in these areas: “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15). But we must all be willing to accept that there is a creature/Creator line that we are unable to cross.
Since you and I aren’t privy to God’s secret counsel or informed of the details of his eternal plans, we will always face confusion, mystery, and surprise. The writer of Hebrews, discussing the lordship of Jesus Christ, hints at this tension: “Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside of his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him” (Hebrews 2:8).
A functional, day-to-day belief in the sovereignty of God will not remove this tension from your life. God will not always give us answers, but he always gives us himself. He reveals to us his existence, rule, wisdom, faithfulness, and love so that we can experience peace and rest of heart even as we face painful mysteries.
Allow me to suggest a tool I developed in my counseling years to help people understand and live in light of the practical implications of the sovereignty of God for everyday life.
Imagine I have drawn a small circle inside a much larger circle on a sheet of paper. The inner circle is labeled the circle of responsibility, and the outer circle the circle of concern.
The circle of responsibility—the smaller, inner circle—represents things God has called you to do that you cannot give to anyone else. These are your daily, God-ordained duties. The only proper response to this inner circle is to carefully and faithfully obey, trusting God for the empowering grace to do so.
Many other things in life grab your attention, capture your mind, and weigh heavy on your heart, but they are not your responsibility or your ability to change. These are the things you put in the circle of concern—the bigger, outer circle. The only proper way to respond to these concerns is to entrust them to your Lord, who governs them all for his glory and your ultimate good.
Living as God has called you to live requires knowing which things in your life fit into which circle. If you load items into the inner circle that don’t belong, you will be overbearing and controlling, and your life will be dominated by anxiety and fear.
Some things God has not told us and never will. This mystery and tension won’t be alleviated until we’re on the other side, but the more you come to know him and understand the character of his loving care, the deeper your rest becomes.
So, walk down the hallway of your confusing life today and say, “There are many things I don’t understand, but I know my Father is in control. I know he is wise and good, and I know he loves me.”
Redemption. Forgiveness. Grace. We deserve none but are given all.
Loved the study of Ruth and the insights from reading the book again, enhanced by the shared thoughts, testimonies and research of my amazing SRT sisters – thanks to each of you and to SRT.
Praying for SARAH D, resolution for anxiety issues and new position.
ADRIENNE – praying!
thank you ANGIE MILLS for your research.
Peace to you all
Amen