Category: Grace

  • Words left unsaid

    Grateful for what Jesus didn’t say

    I don’t know about you, but sometimes I speak before thinking. It’s gotten me into trouble over the years, and I’ve had to explain and apologize a lot.  Somethings are just better left unsaid.

    There was an instance in the Bible where something was intentionally left unsaid by Jesus, and I’m literally eternally grateful. We find it in Luke’s gospel.

    And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

    He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21 ESV

    It was a familiar passage to his audience, taken from Isaiah 61. He didn’t finish reading the passage. The next line in Isaiah is: “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God”

    That’s significant. When Jesus was reading in the synagogue, He declared that He was the Messiah. It was fulfilled in their hearing. If He had said “the day of the vengeance of our God” was fulfilled, then there would be no time for anyone else to come to faith.

    The day of vengeance (mentioned in several other places in Scripture) is when the Lord finally deals with His enemies. Anyone who is not a believer is an enemy of God.

    Had Jesus read the rest of that passage, time would have been up. All hope for the lost would be gone.

    That day is coming. Jesus is returning to fulfill it. In the interim, though, there is time for God’s enemies to be reconciled through faith in Christ. 

    Don’t waste a moment longer. Time truly is limited because none of us knows the day or hour of His return.

    Praise God, He left those words unsaid … for the moment.

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Jesus stopped reading Isaiah’s scroll one line too soon. He left out the day of vengeance, and grace is still open to you and me.

    TAKEAWAY

    You are still living in the year of the Lord’s favor, not the day of His vengeance.

    Your chance to be reconciled to God through faith in Christ is still open right now.

    You don’t know the day or hour of Christ’s return, so this isn’t the moment to delay

    You might also like

    The gospel – the greatest news

    Why everyone knows the truth – even if they deny it

    Do you see things through the eyes of faith

    Vantage point

  • Psalm 25: Teach Me Your Ways, Lord

    A meditating spot overlooking the ocean. A place to think on God's teaching

    This morning, I’ve been reading in Psalm 25. It seemed a natural place after reading Psalm 24. I’m just going to camp on one small section of the Psalm this morning, so let me give you an overview of the entire thing first. It’s worth reading and meditating on. 

    Psalm 25 opens with David lifting his soul to the Lord and trusting Him not to let him be put to shame before his enemies. From there he asks God to teach him, to lead him in truth, and to remember him according to mercy rather than the sins of his youth. He pauses to reflect on who God is: good, upright, ready to instruct sinners and guide the humble.

    Then the urgency returns. David cries out for God to look on his affliction, forgive his sin, and deliver him from his enemies because he has taken refuge in the Lord. He doesn’t stop with himself either; he closes by asking God to redeem all of Israel out of their troubles. The prayer moves from trust, to teaching, to reflection, to rescue, and finally outward to the whole people of God.

    Like David, we often find ourselves in situations where we need help and refuge. We call out and He answers. But David does more than call out to YAHWEH for help; he asks God to teach Him.

    Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

    teach me your paths.

    Lead me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are the God of my salvation;

    for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:4-5 ESV

    God is so much more than a cosmic genie to bail us out of trouble and keep us out of hell. Our faith walk is more than crying out to God when we have a need. The Lord wants to be in a relationship with us and to make us more like Jesus.

    The lord loves those with humble hearts who seek Him and His desires. He loves to teach us His ways and sanctify us. The more we become like Christ, the more freely we call out to Him; we crave His presence, not just think of Him as an afterthought when we are in trouble.

    I know who I am without the Lord at work in my life. I don’t want to be that person anymore. I want the fruit of the Spirit to show abundantly in my life.

    Lord, teach me to judge less and extend grace and forgiveness more easily. Teach me to keep my mouth closed to inappropriate things and to allow words of blessing to come forth. Make me kind and generous, learning to put others first rather than thinking that I’m the center of the universe and everything is about me. Create in me a clean heart. Teach me to be faithful.

    Thank you for the Spirit and the Word. Thank you that I’m not who I once was and that you are transforming me into who you call me to be.

    May we be like David and seek the Lord’s face and to be transformed into His image.

    May you be blessed today,

    Kevin

    Did you enjoy this? Subscribe today for more.

    SUMMARY

    This morning I’m reading in Psalm 25 and camping on David’s request that God teach him His ways, not just rescue him from trouble. I’m reminded that a relationship with the Lord means wanting to be shaped into Christ’s likeness, not just calling on Him when I need help.

    TAKEAWAY

    Psalm 25 moves from trust, to teaching, to reflection on God’s character, to urgent rescue, and finally outward to all of Israel.

    David asks God to teach him His ways in Psalm 25:4-5, showing that our faith is about more than calling out to God in crisis.

    The Lord wants to sanctify us and grow the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, not just answer our prayers for deliverance.

    Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone) 

    You might enjoy

    Right living vs right belief

    Teach me your ways

    God’s promises of renewal