Daily Wisdom

 Psa 107:1-2 “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.” 

We only enter the fullness of life when our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation and His great love if not with humility and thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance and acknowledgment of the grace and goodness the Father gives. Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace. Everything is defeated and dead without the Father’s great love (Jn 3:16)… yet His promised fullness of life is received by His abundance of grace (Jn 1:16). Thus, the soul sings, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”  Grace garners our Thankfulness and provides our fullness. 

Thankfulness unlocks the fullness of life; it turns what we have been given into enough. It can turn a meal into a feast, house into a home, and a stranger into a friend… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 Act 14:22 “Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Life tempts me and at times persuades me to take the path of less resistance. Yet doing so doesn’t always provide the most rewarding results and only softens my spirit for self. I begin to love the same toys that the world loves. I start to fit in, instead of standing out with Christ. I start to look at earth as "home." Before I know it, I am calling luxuries "needs" and using my money just as the unbelieving world. I begin to forget the wars and suffering. I forget people are perishing. Missions and unreached people evade my mind. I stop dreaming about the triumphs of grace and salvation. I sink into a secular mind-set that looks first to what man can do, not what God has done. It is a terrible sickness I can be prone to. And I thank God when life has forced me again and again toward a mind-set of tribulation. Then I immediately see the cross and realize that it wasn’t comfortable/convenient, nor a path of least resistance, for Jesus to go to the cross for me!

Tribulation often squeezes the artificiality out of me, making room for the Holy Spirit work… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 “… is…” 2 Cor 12:9

In one moment, this passage comes to life and rebukes the soul for petitioning such prayers as, “Lord, may thy grace be sufficient.” How dare us ask that which “is?” God cannot make His grace more sufficient than He has made it; get up, believe it, and walk in it and you’ll find it true. The Lord says it in the simplest way “My grace is (not shall be or may be) sufficient for thee.”  That linking verb “is” describes the subject Grace… that it “is” sufficient. The Father defines it more with “My,” “is,” and “thee” which should be indelibly fixed upon our hearts. The truth is, don’t turn facts into hope, or prayers; but rather walk in them as the promises they are, and you’ll find them as powerful as you believe them. That choice “is” up to you!

God’s grace is sufficient for us anywhere His providence places us… HSAY 

Daily Wisdom

 Isa 49:11  “And I will make all my mountains a way…”

Be assured, what you see as obstacles God uses to serve His purpose. We all have mountains in our lives which threaten to bar our spiritual progress. That thorn in the flesh, that daily cross – we think that if only the Father would remove it, we’d be more faithful and holier. “O fools, and slow of heart… Ought not Christ suffered these things” (Lk 24:25-26). These are the very conditions for spiritual holiness and maturity.  Such  mountains unlock the Father’s grace and mercy in our lives. Patience is our virtue, our fruit of the spirit, that is brought about in our lives through perseverance against such. The mountain you see is the Lord’s, and subservient to His great purpose. Don’t be a casualty or compromise your faith, just climb – the view the Lord will provide is worth it.

 The best view comes after the hardest climb… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 Acts 4:33 “… great grace was upon them all.”

In this passage unity in great grace was brought forth in the body. Through such grace man can see as never before despite the darkness him. But such grace doesn’t settle upon us by chance, and if we don’t discern certain states of grace, and choose them, and in our thoughts nourish them, they never become fastened in our nature or behavior. Every step taken in grace must be proceeded by first apprehending it, and then prayerful resolve to humble ourselves to it. For grace to abound in our life one must put themselves daily on the altar of sacrifice as did Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane… “not my will, but thine, be done.” (Lk 22:42). As life-giving rain falls from above, so does the power and life-giving grace fall from the Father above… may we shower ourselves in it!

Of all the wonderous works, grace is the greatest of all… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

Job 35:10  “But none says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night.”

The story of Job is hard to fathom. Yet, Like Job, you may wonder where is God when you need Him most? Elihu spoke to this very point. His conclusion was that God is still concerned even though He doesn't intervene immediately in every situation. In your sleepless nights, or the oppression that comes with some mornings, ask the Holy Spirit to fix your eyes on your Maker, knowing He can and will fill your soul with a song. In our bereavements, discouragements, even actual failures God draws nigh and closest to the brokenhearted (Psa 34:18) and who lacks a song to sing. His song offers hope and is harmonious with His providence. Seek the Father’s face and you’ll find songs that will strengthen your soul.

Trust in the Father and He’ll tune your heart to sing to His grace and salvation… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 Isa 28:12  “To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”

Why do we worry ourselves? What use does fretting bring us? We’re aboard a vessel which we could not steer even if the Lord put us at the helm. We have no knowledge of the reefs that destroy, or where they are before us. Be still, the LORD is on the throne. And though the enemy may come in waves crashing over us, the Lord calms the seas (Mk 4:35-41), and if need be, affords us to walk on top of the waves (Mt 14:29). Don’t give way to despondency, it’s only a ploy of satan that withers the heart, making it unfit to receive the Father’s abundant grace!

Keep your eyes on the Lord and you don’t have to fear what’s before you… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 Lk 10:42 “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Guilt is gone by way of God’s glorious grace, don’t go searching for it! And rather than allowing grace to carry us, while we choose to carry guilt. Jesus said, “take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy”(Mt 11:29-30). Guilt is a gauntlet that satan and our flesh continually use as a hammer of torment, shame, and unworthiness that blinds us to promised joy we have in Christ Jesus. Consider brokenness, like a bone, encourages us to seek attention and healing, whereas guilt is like trying to clean your own house before the maid gets there?  We’re ashamed of our dirt/filth so we try to clean up a bit ourselves. Martha was trying to show herself worthy of Jesus being in her home, Mary knew that wasn’t possible, but she found worth at the feet of Jesus.

Guilt is a guise for self-healing, Grace garners hope in spite of one’s self… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 2Th 2:16 “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.’

If our heavenly Father is the God, He says He is, how many times do we need to acknowledge, confess, and repent of a sin/s? Christianity is the only God who isn’t a god of condemnation, who must be continually appeased so when one dies it doesn’t get worse for them. Knowing the meaning of grace… the kindness, goodness, graciousness of God and nothing to do with our work or merit, a love in spite of what we deserve, and not accessed by begging or pleading… we now have our hope and assurance. Many believers are still dwelling in past sin, still praying, and trying to make (works) amends for a past failure. This impedes God’s purpose and work in and through them. Grace allows God to move forward in what and where He wants you, and I promise you it’s not in your past but His promise for tomorrow. The greatest enemy of hope is forgetting God’s promise of grace!

Repairing the past doesn’t assure the promise of tomorrow, only grace can do that… HSAY    

Daily Wisdom

 1Jn 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God’s grace is our only guarantee of hope; without grace man is hopeless. Know the Lord does not deal with our sin through condemnation (Rom 8:1), but with love. He’s not looking to judge us but deliver us from ourselves and unrighteousness.  God’s law/Word is to protect us, not condemn us. Sin has consequences, reap what you sow, thus God puts such principles/laws in the universe to protect us from ruining our life so we can then bring about the glory and promise of heaven through our life. Adam and Eve, and the Garden best illustrate God’s kindness/grace, here’s all that you could desire… rejoice in it, live in it, prosper in it, just don’t destroy it or yourself. From that, God in His kindness (grace) gave us more than we deserved, abundance of kindness. He wants us to experience it so much, He goes to great lengths to preserve and protect it through His law/Word.

Kindness (grace) of one’s spirit will far outlast the memory of their genius… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 Joh 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

How is one to abide in the love of the Lord, and He says when we abide in Him, we have His joy, and it will be full (Jn 15:11); how can we be full of joy and at the same time walking in a general cloud of guilt? This often occurs when we fail to handle sin correctly and lose sight of the cross. We must confess our sin before the Lord, but that isn’t what brings about our forgiveness. Forgiveness/grace only occurs by Christ’s way of the cross. While we are to confess our sins, our forgiveness before the Lord does not rest on our performance of pleading and begging, but only on Jesus Work of grace, not ours!  Any efforts (work) on our part to get right with the Lord only compounds our failure and fuels our guilt.

Like a car, we can only get to where the Lord wants us by remaining full of His joy… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 Rom 11:6 “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace...”

Don’t lose sight of the power of God’s grace for our life. The power of sin is so great that we’ll never overcome it; we can mature to lessen it, but not stop it. But when we feel lost, condemned, guilty, ashamed that’s when the power of grace appears. But to think “we” can or got to get right with God, remember that if we could do that… we wouldn’t need God! While grace is not a gift to abuse, God forbid (Rom 6:1-2), grace is our only hope for glory not our efforts in fighting sin. Grace is the ultimate level playing field, allowing us to focus on the cross and Jesus great love and begin to clean our life up because of His love for us, not our love for Him.

The grace of God does not find man fit for salvation, but makes him so… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 Heb 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Believers are too often missed guided in their guilt, as if God is on His throne with thunder and lightning crackling around Him daring you to approach or worse sin against Him. Guilt isn’t solely related to sin but can be equally related to our misconception of God and His grace. Consider the truth that in the N.T. Gospels (guilt or guilty) is only mentioned “10” times. Six of those times Pilot is acknowledging Jesus is guilty of nothing, two times Jesus is pointing out the Pharisees guilt of hypocrisy, and the last two are Jesus talking to the same crowd about blaspheme of the Holy Ghost. The N.T. isn’t a book of guilt, shame, condemnation but of Grace and God’s great love for you.  Don’t carry a burden God doesn’t ask you to carry. And as believers, we must be very slow and cautious in a routine of signifying sin, and quicker in displaying Jesus’ love for the sinner. Guilt isn’t a doctrine Jesus preached, but love is!

Accountability to truth does not require or call one to place the guilt of sin upon another… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

 ‘Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church.’ Col 1:24

Paul’s statement here shows us that suffering is unavoidable in bringing the Gospel about. When we suffer, Christ feels it with us. But this suffering can be endured joyfully because it changes lives and brings people into God's Kingdom (1 Pt 4:1-2; 12-19 & Phl 2:9 ‘For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.')

Our convictions compel our actions and help us complete the course. Allowing us to endure and find encouragement in that which we endorse. But, Paul found himself in non-encouraging moments. But the Lord strengthened him to endure, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12). It was the Lord’s ever-present Grace which provided the power that sustained Paul; being more apparent because of his weakness – not in spite of it. Suffering for the sake of, makes the Gospel more evident when we’re not reliant on our own abilities.

You’ll find that if you focus on the right thing, you won’t be searching for things… HSAY 

Daily Wisdom

Tit 1:4 “To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

If God is a God of order, and He is (1 Cor 14:33), then notice the progression: grace, mercy, then peace (II Jn 3). In order to find the peace of God, one must first discover the grace and mercy of God (Gen 6:8). The grace in which Noah found in God (Gen 6:8) is the very first time the word “grace” appears in the Bible. Grace describes God’s attitude toward the sinner. Whereas mercy is defined as not receiving what we do deserve, grace is defined as receiving what we don’t deserve which is deliverance! Noah deserved to die in the flood as well, he was a sinner. However, he found the grace of God for his life by giving God the “last say” in his life (Gen 6:13-22) and was delivered. And with God’s grace came God’s mercy and Noah was delivered through the flood, which provided Noah’s peace once he was inside the ark (a picture of God and His salvation). Therefore, realizing what we are and don’t deserve and acknowledging what we got though we didn’t deserve it… then you’ll find your Peace in the greatest gift and promise of all, Jesus!  

God’s peace isn’t the calm after the storm. It’s the steadfastness during it… HSAY  

Daily Wisdom

Jn 1:46 “And Nathanael said unto him, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Nathan was in considerable doubt of Philips claim, not that he had found the Messiah, but rather how anything good could forth out of Nazareth. Living four miles from Nazareth in Cana, Nathan was aware of their lack of morals, aloof attitude toward religion and overall reputation. If Nathan would’ve held to his prejudice and ignorant thoughts towards grace, he would’ve missed the Saviour. Don’t doubt the power of grace and the good it affords ourselves and others. It’s not about where one’s been but where their heading. One who looks to the past finds dreams of doubt; he who looks toward tomorrow awakes to the assurance that God’s goodness promises us hope in any occasion.  

Pay attention to your Creator and not your critic’s, one offers hope the other hurt… HSAY 

Daily Wisdom

1 Tim 1:2 “Unto Timothy my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ.”

Grace grants us what we don’t deserve, Mercy delivers us from what we do deserve, and Peace provides us what we can’t produce. Meaning one will not obtain the peace of God without finding the grace and mercy of salvation. God’s grace is immeasurable, His mercy is inexhaustible, His peace is inexpressible. Wallowing in guilt, remorse, or shame over our past only produces disdain in God’s gift of grace and mercy and robs us of our peace in Jesus.

In the midst of our failed attempts in loving Jesus, His grace provides mercy so we can still find peace… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

Gen 50:20 “… ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass…”

Sometimes the enemy possesses what we need, and we don’t know we would need it? Consider David and Goliath (1 Sam 17:50 “… but there was no sword in the hand of David.”). The fact is David never would’ve obtained the sword that Goliath possessed if he didn’t engage in the battle. Like Joseph, and his brothers ill will against him, what man was going to use for evil God used it for both Joseph and David’s good. Be faithful in your battles, the grace God has for you may be possessed by your enemy.

The best vision is (50/20), it allows you to see what God sees… HSAY  

Daily Wisdom

“But rise, and stand upon they feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose…” Acts 26:26

You’re not saved without purpose and great reason, but understand, it wasn’t just for your well being only. Our salvation is for the Glory of the Lord to be seen by others, opening their eyes from darkness (vs 18).  In doing so, we make the invisible kingdom visible in life through our grace story (AFA). The beauty of God’s grace is that it meets us where we are but doesn’t leave us where it found us. It offers us a spiritual GPS “God’s Plan of Salvation” and our purpose is to show others its coordinates. Your purpose is greater than your problems, don’t let one distract you over the other!  

Live purposely one day at a time. Today, after all, is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday… HSAY

Daily Wisdom

1 Tim 1:8 “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.”

The only purpose for the law (old covenant) is to better us, not burden us. The proper use of the law will direct us to the power of God’s Grace, the promise of His Mercy and the joy of His Peace (vs 2). None of which can man obtain or materialize on his own!  

Point being: The law doesn’t give us life, it makes life better in and through the Lord.

In Rom 3:31, Paul says “we establish the law.”  That is by the law of justification by faith.  In this the moral law is confirmed, its obligation is enforced, and its obedience secured by the following:

1.      God used the law to show sinners it could not be violated with impunity.

2.      Jesus magnified it by showing God was just and determined to judge the unrighteous.

3.      The sinner sees the evil by way of the law, thus giving his heart in faith by obedience.

In the glory of salvation is, that while it justifies the sinner, it brings the newest of influence from heaven, more tender and mightier than can be drawn from any other source to produce obedience.

The law showed man’s demise, Grace showed man a promised destiny!

HSAY… Todd