June 1, 2011
“God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, too — your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful — I can’t take it all in! Psalm 139:1-6 The Message
What a great day it is to begin with the audacious freedom that your life is an “open book” with the Lord. Your thoughts .. your words .. your travels .. your plans .. and all the places you will leave fingerprints and footprints. It’s audacious to take those first steps into the morning .. into the afternoon .. and into the evening because of Jesus. It’s His life that goes before you wherever you are going today. Your life can only walk freely into this day when your old life is dead and your new life is out in the open alive in Christ. You can’t “create a new clean heart” in yourself. This is God’s business. This is what grace does every minute of your day. He sees everything about you. All the unconnected parts of your life become whole in God’s redeeming love in you. When you can’t hold on another day or moment .. He’s there to reassure and renew your spirit in humbling amazement. There aren’t many things worse than living your life outside of His holy presence: fearing the ordinary .. failing in the familiar .. and fleeing from safety. That’s what fills life when God is on the outside. But all that changes in a moment when the Cross-Hanging Joy fills your life. Then you see others limping in their wounds and you turn towards them where once you turned away. You can turn towards them because you know that the Lord has your first sentence and your last thought in His risen Life. May the Lord create in you this day a clean heart .. a heart for Jesus .. and a heart deeply loved by Him. It only takes a moment …
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.” Psalm 51:10-13 New American Standard
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to Grace-Investigated Followers of Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)
