On my mind today is the fact we are having Spring-like weather, yet snow is forecast for this weekend. We've not had snow all winter... Hello! Welcome to the Midwest!
In any event, it looks like Saturday would be a good SOUP day. I love feeding my people soup. So warm and comforting ... so easy ... and there is just something about chopping up all those veggies as I listen to Pandora. It makes my heart happy.
Something else that makes my heart happy - this passage I read the other day in the book, "Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship by N.T. Wright:
Do you know what the most frequent command in the Bible turns out to be? What instruction, what order, is given, again and again, by God, by angels, by Jesus, by prophets and apostles? What do you think ‘ “Be good”? “Be holy, for I am holy?” Or negatively, “Don’t sin? Don’t be immoral? No the most frequent command in the Bible is: “Don’t be afraid.” Don’t be afraid. Fear not. Don’t be afraid.”
The fact God tells His children, "Don't be afraid," more than any other command just really resonates with me. How loving! How kind! And how surprising! I figured His most repeated admonition would be some variation of "Get it together," or, "Quit messing up!"
Don't get me wrong. He is holy. And sin cannot be in His presence. But He made a way for for the righteousness of Christ to be the lens through which He looks at you.
All you have to do is turn from your sin and accept it!
Once that is done, there is no more reason to fear.
None!
And that, my friend, is enough to make this morning and every morning a good day. Oh, yeah, there's still going to be tests, trials and struggles. We're not in paradise, yet.
But seriously, if you are convinced He is absolutely committed to you as His child, why in the world would you be afraid?
And randomly, because this has nothing to do with anything, I was going through some pictures and realized this picture of Malia is similar to a picture of me as a teenager:
I never once thought before that we looked anything alike ... but now I see it! (Except one of us parted her hair on the wrong side...)
So what does your morning look like?
~~~
I'm sharing this post with the communities at Arabah Joy's Grace & Truth and Crystal Twaddell's #FreshMarketFriday. Go visit - you won't be disappointed!
How cool with how much you and your daughter looked like as teens!! Funny how parts of the country have snow in the forecast for the weekend. Heard some saw in Pennsylvania today it is snowing; yesterday 64 degrees! Soup though sounds heavenly for a cool winter day!
ReplyDeleteSo true about Do Not Fear and how often it is mentioned not to do so in the Bible. I think God is trying to get our attention about DO NOT FEAR :)
betty
So happy that God reminds us not to fear. The other thing I think of is that angels must be pretty shocking/powerful/scary since that's the first thing they seem to say when appearing to humans!
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful reminder as we journey through a world that gives us loads of reasons to be fearful. Blessings to you, sweet friend.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, it is reassuring to know that God does not want us to fear. Neither Him nor our circumstances, nor the future.
ReplyDeleteIt is afternoon as I write this. I have a little housework to get to on an overcast day waiting for rain and a cold front in SE Texas.
Barbara from Life & Faith in Caneyhead
i love all the do not fear scriptures. My God is a rock I can hide beneath, his Arms cover me, His love and power embrace me. This was so encouraging to read. and the resemblance between you and your daughter is beautiful. I love the name Malia...so pretty!!!
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