Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Lent 23: God's kindness

God is kind. Sometimes I think about his options: he could hold us to impossible standards where we'd constantly fall short and have to appease him as he punished us. Oh wait... there are religions like that. Where people sacrifice to every possible god to see if they can put the universe to rest and prevent the gods from harming them.

Instead, we read in scripture that God made us and loves us. Knows us inside and out and still loves us. He even provided reconciliation, giving inner peace that spills out into every relationship.

The rub is we have to accept the provision as it is given. No adding to God's offer. No mixing it up with our own preferences. Just say yes to God's kindness.

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God's peace be with you.

*So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NIV

*But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

*And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:4-10 NIV

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