“It Is Finished”
Father, as I continue to read through my prayer book quite often I have to re-read the previous days. My heart, soul, and mind have to marinate a bit. 🙂 Here is a portion from yesterday’s reading that has given me much cause to think:
O God the Holy Spirit…
Lead me to the cross…
Help me to find in [Christ’s] death the reality and
immensity of his love.
Open for me the wondrous volumes of truth in his,
‘It is finished.’
Lord Jesus, that last line just catches me! I can think a little into it but I struggle to wrap my mind around it. It most certainly is not something I can do with little effort.
‘It is finished,’ of course are Your last recorded words prior to Your death on the cross. John 19:30
The most obvious question is what is finished? This is what comes to mind:
- The task You had come to earth to accomplish – the giving of Yourself in a once-and-for-all payment for the sins of all of humanity.
- Death- until Your return we have to experience it but it is defeated – it no longer has the final word – You do
- Sin – again we must still contend with it every day of our lives but because of Your victory and because Your Holy Spirit lives within us, we can now defeat it in Your strength and power
…to be continued…
Aug 31st, Wed, 6:49 am
“No” To the Little Things
What would I do, Father, if You were not with me every moment of the day? Sin is an ever-present danger. Without You, I wouldn’t stand a chance. Time after time, only because of You, I have stood against the onslaught. On occasion, I linger just a little too long and get burnt. But You help me to turn, I listen to Your admonishment and my life has meaning. I do not fall. You salve my burns and I carry on. I cherish Your love and patience. Your mercy and grace are humbling. In and through You, my life has meaning. Only in You can I experience the victory of overcoming.
Lord Jesus, I know that sin is sin and that I cannot rank them, there are not “almost OK” sins and “really bad” sins. They all separate us from You. I have experienced “crash and burn” sins in my life more often than I care to remember and I am so grateful that those have been far less frequent in my life over the last several months.
My battles these days seem to move in the realm of saying “no” to the little things. Again sin is sin but quite often a temptation presents itself – it’s not some huge thing that can easily be stood against and avoided. But many times it’s a fleeting thought or a simple glance or an enticing tidbit to my ears. If I dwell just a little too long, I am that much further down the trail, that much closer to yielding – I start to rationalize that it’s not that big of a deal.
But it is a big deal! A breached dam usually begins with a trickle. Every “little” thing needs to be stopped in its tracks. I am weak and fallible but thankfully You are strong and stalwart and You choose to be with me! Help me to listen. Help me to always be aware that you are always there. As long as, I live my life in You – we got this!
Aug 30th, Tue, 6:36 am
Empty Vessels
As we come together this morning, Father, I would ask that You would help me to focus in on what You would have me to hear and to do. Help me to use our time together wisely. Multiply the little I have into an abundance that will most benefit your kingdom here on earth. Amen.
Lord, You led me to once again look at the Puritan prayer I read through yesterday It spoke to me yesterday, but portions jumped out to me today.
Fill me with thy Spirit
that I may be occupied with his presence…
Send him as the searcher of my heart,
to show me of my corruptions and helplessness
that I may flee to thee,
cling to thee,
rest on thee,
as the beginning and end of my salvation.
In worship yesterday, with Your leading, You had me speak of making ourselves empty vessels. I readily admit that I am a weak vessel… but You well know that I am a willing vessel, too. With the filling of Your Spirit – only when I live my life in You – am I stronger. I must be occupied – consumed even – with His presence in my life. Only He can see to the heart of my being. Only the light of his holiness can penetrate into the dark recesses of my soul, illuming things that do not belong. I am helpless, I am dependent upon You. But my salvation is found as I flee to You, as I cling to You and when I rest on You.
Lord, I wholly give myself over to You. There is nothing – absolutely nothing that I withhold. We don’t know how long we have, but I for one want to be ready. Ready to meet You if it is today. Ready to respond at a moment’s notice to Your beck and call. For only You know who will cross my path this day.
Spirit of the living God,
Fall fresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me
Spirit of the living God,
Fall fresh on me. ~ Daniel Iverson, 1926
Aug 29th, Mon, 5:51 am
A Pond of Faith?
How kind and compassionate You are Father. Your love for us is never-ending. It is longsuffering, as well, and so often we are utterly clueless. We surely are not worthy of Your mercy but You extend Your grace to us without limit. May these truths be the driving force behind how I live out my life for You. I can do no less…
James 2:18-26 (<<click here)
Lord, we are saved from our sins by placing our faith in You. We are able to overcome the sin that daily assails us by placing our faith in You. To live victoriously we must place our faith in You – faith is the key.
We exude faith continually in our daily walk with You – but are we a pond of faith or a reservoir of faith? Do we just keep faith to ourselves, maintaining our position with You or, though we have stores of faith, do we use that faith to impact the lives of others?
Quite often I drive by ponds that are poorly maintained. There is life in them but if they are not taken care of, they become more and more stagnant and scummy – green algae takes over and they are covered in it. It comes to the point where they are not much good for anything. Lord, please help me to not allow my faith to be like this.
On the other hand, reservoirs are full of life. They retain water, yes, but it is water constantly at work. The water is constantly coming in but… it is constantly going out, as well. Quite often it is even used to generate power as it passes through – power that impacts the lives of people for miles around.
Lord, may my faith run deep but may I be used of You to impact the lives of those around by the work You do through me. May Your kingdom come as I allow Your will to be done in and through me.
Aug 28th, Sun, 6:40 am
Faith in Action
For the rest of my days may my trust in You, Father, be as it is the first of every morning. I plead that this will always be the case. No matter what day it is or what time You wake me, my first thoughts are of You, “My Father is calling me to join Him.” There is no better way to begin my day.
James 2:14-17 (<<click here)
No matter how many times I read this passage, Lord, it makes me stop and think. As we follow You, truly faith and acting on that faith go hand in hand – one is incomplete without the other.
We can have faith – believing in You as our Savior – but if it doesn’t affect the way we live, if it doesn’t cause us to do certain things and to stop us from doing other things, is it real? Faith must be more than an “intellectual assent” as my study Bible* notes. It has to be more than “agreement with a set of Christian teachings.” Faith must impact how we think about things. Faith kindles a fire in us that causes us to move and do. It is not a stationary thing. We must be about our “Father’s business.” Luke 2:49
We have a problem, too, working solely from the other end. Following You, Lord, is way more than good works, even if they are “spiritual” in nature. If there is no faith in the equation it is just going through the motions. Church attendance, teaching Sunday school, volunteering at a soup kitchen, working at an orphanage, even preaching from a pulpit – these things have minimal impact if not driven by faith.
Help me, Lord, to be faithful to the utmost in all I do for You and the kingdom. Fill my life, fill my actions. Amen.
Aug 27th, Sat, 5:27 am
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation