It's a New Day

God has been working in my heart and my life. As I started Thessalonians this morning God reminded me that He has given me so much grace. God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Everything that we have is from Him and He is so good. I was also reminded that peace will only come from Him. I can't do it on my own but He is so faithful.

We haven't done our kids devotional that we usually read after breakfast and before school in a while but I got it down today. The story was about a boy who shot and killed himself because people made fun of him because he had a long nose and he thought he would never get a wife as a result. The passage was from Philippians 1:20-26. Which talks about Paul's struggle with his desire to die to be with Christ but it being more necessary for him to live because that would mean fruitful labor for Him. We talked about Grandpa Roger and how he had wanted to die for a long time - both b/c he wanted to be with Christ and b/c he was tired of his body that didn't work anymore and for the last 5 years b/c mom was already there. I had talked about this passage with Dad several times over the years. I know that God had a reason for keeping him alive. We talked about how dad was always passing out Gideon New Testaments and how just a few days before he died he was at the Memorial Day parade in town giving them out to people. God may have wanted him to live that long so that someone at the parade could get one of those NTs and come to know Christ as a result. It may have been God's will for dad to die how he did so that He could get His Word into the hands of the emergency personnel that had responded to the call. How I long for the cry of my heart to be "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." God reminded me this morning of how important it is that to go on living in the flesh means fruitful labor for me. That hasn't been my focus. I have been so depressed and overwhelmed lately that I haven't been focused on really living. "Only one life, twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last." Oh Lord, please help me to have joy that overflows that only comes from you and not to focus on my circumstances but to focus on being faithful today with the tasks you set before me.

Caleb mentioned this song that we sing at North and that it reminds him of Grandpa Roger at the end of devotions this morning. We looked up the lyrics online and sang it with the Vertical Worship CD. I love this song too.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love! What depths of peace!
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All-in-All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His, and He is mine,
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand!