“You’re no longer a slave” (to a whole laundry list of peace, freedom, and joy robbing thieves), “you are God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Gal. 4:4-7
Lord Jesus, what could be more important on this July Monday than to blast our hearts with the riches of your grace and the truths of the Gospel? When we default to Gospel-amnesia, instead of exuding the life-giving aroma of grace we start smelling like odiferous unbelief.
People, news-bites, and a slew of irritants become functionally bigger than you. We over-react and under-love. We start taking slights more personally than we take your beauty, goodness, and sovereignty to heart.
So, we come to you preemptively on this July Monday. Before circumstances “grease the track” into the downward cycle of navel-gazing and other-blaming, we choose a power-breakfast (lunch and dinner) of the riches of your grace.
Jesus, you are Lord and we are not. Better to live with palms-up in praise and surrender, than white-knuckling our way through irritants and “what-if’s.” You are our comprehensive forgiveness and perfect righteousness. This week won’t be about “do more, try harder,” but resting in you and loving our neighbors.
You are working in all things for our good—no exceptions. Everything broken, ugly, and evil has an expiration date. Nothing can separate us from your love, lessen your delight in us, or delay your return for us. Here’s to a week of putting on you (Rom. 13:14), and not putting on a show for anyone. So Very Amen.