Author Archives: Pastor Tommy

When you hear the word “stewardship,” what comes to mind?  If you are like most Christians, you think of the three T’s—Time, Talent, and Treasure—over which God has called us to exercise good stewardship.  But did you ever think about stewardship as it relates to the storms and struggles of life?  Since God is causing “all things to work together for good to those who love God,” as Romans 8:28 attests, then we have a great responsibility to be good stewards of the storms and struggles of life that He sends our way (Lamentations 3:38).

So how do we do it?  We submit, surrender, and share our struggles and storms with our Savior.  Listen, when you are facing the storms and struggles in this life, you have to take your experience and resulting feelings somewhere!  Some men and women bottle them up inside until the day they explode, leaving a trail of discouraged, damaged, and even destroyed relationships in their wake.  Others snap and snarl at everyone in earshot.  There is a price that must be paid for poor stewardship of the storms and struggles in life, and frequently the price is paid by those around us, the very ones God has given to us to cherish, love, and nurture.

But this is not for you!  There is a better way to exercise good stewardship over our storms and struggles, and the weeping prophet Jeremiah provides us the model:

O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed.  I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me.  (Jeremiah 20:7)

Jeremiah knew where to turn in the midst of his storm, and his painful prayer should produce profound comfort for you and me.  Jeremiah was in the midst of a season of struggle; he felt deceived, betrayed, overwhelmed, he had become the object of ridicule by the ungodly, and what did he do?

First, let’s notice what he did not do.  Jeremiah did not bottle his feelings up inside, like many of us do, only to blow up and bury all those around him.  He did not snap and snarl at everyone within earshot.  He took his pain to God.  And that, dear reader, is the key to being a good steward of the storms and struggles of life.  They must be taken to the only One who can do something about it . . . the One who has ultimately sent it to you for your good and His glory. 

The same prophet who gave us the great promise from God about a future plan of purpose and prosperity (Jeremiah 29:11) also gave us this picture of crying out to God during a season of intense spiritual struggle.  This should be a source of great encouragement to us; we are not alone, and our struggles are not unique to us.  Everyone struggles, even great prophets! 

The very best stewards of the storms and struggles in this life stand in the shadow of the cross.  Deceived . . . betrayed . . . overwhelmed . . . the object of ridicule?  Lay it all at the foot of the cross.  Jesus is able to do for you what no one else can do; He gives you a place to bring every storm and struggle.   

So what have you been doing in this area?  What would those closest to you say you do with your storms and struggles?  Is there anyone in your life right now to whom you need to confess your poor stewardship and ask for forgiveness?  Remember, Jesus paid the price in full for your faults and failures, and you are still the object of His desire.  There is no need to minimize . . . no need to cover up . . . no need to hide in fear.  The One you call Lord and Savior opens doors no man can shut and shuts doors no man can open.     

This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

During our K.I.C.K. (Karate In Christ’s Kingdom) class we ask the students, as they are in a seated stretching position, “How low can you go?”  To which they respond, “Super low sir!”  It’s a great question to sharpen their focus on giving their absolute best during this phase of class.  This is also a great question to encourage us in our walk with Christ; the answer is a source of unimaginable comfort for every Christian, because it testifies to His unconditional care. 

Moses declared, “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.  And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy!” (Deuteronomy 33:27.)  Wow!  When the eternal God is your dwelling place, no matter how low you go, His everlasting arms are UNDERNEATH you.

If you have been walking with Christ for any length of time, you can certainly testify to seasons where you were brought very low.  And yet, regardless of how low you went, UNDERNEATH you were His everlasting arms. 

• Sinking in stress . . . UNDERNEATH you are His everlasting arms
• Submerged in sin . . . UNDERNEATH you are His everlasting arms
• Drowning in debt . . . UNDERNEATH you are His everlasting arms
• Descending into discouragement . . . UNDERNEATH you are His everlasting arms
• Cast down in your career . . . UNDERNEATH you are His everlasting arms
• Crushed in conflict . . . UNDERNEATH you are His everlasting arms
• Falling into faithlessness . . . UNDERNEATH you are His everlasting arms
• Immersed in impurity . . . UNDERNEATH you are His everlasting arms

Beloved, regardless of how far you fall, you cannot fall out of His everlasting arms of loving care and comfort.  Remember this, God’s arm is not short.  He can reach all the way and He can reach everybody.  You are never beyond the reach of His everlasting arms.  “If I make my bed in Sheol,” David exulted, “you are there!” (Psalm 139:8.)

You might be thinking, “Pastor Tommy, you just don’t know what I have done!”  You’re right, I don’t know what you have been doing, but He does.  And in spite of whatever you have done, in spite all you have ever done, He has given you the promise that you will never sink so low in this life that you are no longer resting in the strength of His everlasting arms. 

Who convinced you that you have fallen so far that He cannot reach you?  Don’t believe it!  It smells like smoke and comes from the pit of hell, as my friend Steve Brown likes to say.  Once His, always His, regardless of the times when we behave as if we are not His, as if we had never met Him and don’t even know Him.

Satan would like nothing better than to convince you that you have dug yourself so deep into the proverbial pit that you are beyond the reach of your God.  The accuser of the brethren knows he cannot take you out of the hand of your Redeemer, so he will do everything he can to mess with your mind.  Don’t let him do it!  Sin may take you so low that you cannot imagine anyone on the face of this earth as bad as you.  Fear not!  You’re in good company. 

The great apostle Paul said, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).  Marinating in the grace of God, Paul was overwhelmed by the realization that God chose to save him, knowing just how bad Paul was.  He was a persecutor of the church.  He was a blasphemer of God.  He was a hater of Christ.  He was the Pharisee who held the coats of those who stoned Stephen.  In spite of the deplorable depth of his sin, the everlasting arms of the King of kings were still UNDERNEATH him.  And it was those arms that lifted Paul out of the pit of persecution into the palace of preaching for the glory of Jesus.  The same everlasting arms that supported Paul are under you today. 

This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Ever wonder why you are not completely content?  Notice that I did not ask, “Are you completely content?”  Broken people, living in a broken world with other broken people, coming out of broken pasts and moving into broken futures, inevitably struggle with contentment. 

• We struggle with contentment in our singleness . . . so we marry and find that we still struggle with contentment.
• We struggle with contentment in our current job . . . so we change jobs and find that we still struggle with contentment.
• We struggle with contentment at our current address . . . so we change neighborhoods and find that we still struggle with contentment. 
• We struggle with contentment with our church . . . so we change churches and find that we still struggle with contentment. 

So what is the key to contentment?  It is found in focusing your attention on your Savior rather than your stuff.  You can change the stuff of life and keep on changing the stuff of life and never find contentment.  Why?  Because contentment is never going to be found in the stuff of life!  The stuff of life was never designed to do for us what only our Savior can do for us, and that is both to give us and fill us with contentment.

Hebrews 13:5 instructs us, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”  To be sure, God gives us good gifts in this life.  He gives us family, friends, jobs, homes, and opportunities to put our talents and abilities into service.  The problem is not the things of this world.  The problem is in trying to get the things of this world to do what only Jesus can do for us! 

You see, the stuff of life comes and goes, but our Savior is always with us.  Jesus has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, even when we give Him every reason to do so.  In seasons of great success, as well as times of great sin, Jesus is with us every step of the way.  Jesus is with you in your lonely place and gives you comfort.  Jesus is with you in your empty place and fills you up.  Jesus is with you in your pain and gives you His peace.

The problem with discontent is never going to be solved by acquiring the stuff we do not have.  We are restless and discontented when we fail to find God to be all-sufficient for every season of life.  It is a fact that He is sufficient for our every need, and only when we realize, embrace, and live in this truth that we will experience true and lasting contentment—regardless of the circumstances we face in life.

This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

 What do you need to be delivered from today?

• Critical spirit
• Impatience
• Angry outbursts
• Impure thoughts
• Addictive behavior 

Here is a passage about Peter that can give you the most incredible hope for divine deliverance, even in the face of utter hopelessness. 

About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.  He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.  This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.  And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.  So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.  Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison.  (Acts 12:1-6)

Notice with me the hopelessness of Peter’s situation.  Herod delivered him over to four squads of soldiers, working 6-hour shifts over a 24-hour day.  That means there were always four soldiers guarding one Peter at any given time throughout the day and night.  We find Peter sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and more sentries posted outside the door.

Two soldiers, two chains, two or more sentries . . . but not too much for God.  All of this was written to make it abundantly clear to us just how desperate Peter’s situation was.  What happened next is recorded for our instruction and comfort when we too, face trials that appear to be insurmountable. Peter was only one man, yes; but he was God’s man.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell.  He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.”  And the chains fell off his hands.  And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.”  And he did so.  And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”  And he went out and followed him.  And he went out and followed him.  He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.  When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city.  It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. (Acts 12:7-10)

In one of the most hopeless situations recorded in all of sacred Scripture, Hope shows up.  God sent an angel, who led Peter out of his prison, not on wings like eagles, but walking, with calm confidence, on sandaled feet.  As they stood before the iron gate leading into the city, it opened of its own accord.  What an incredible divine deliverance!

Oh, make sure you don’t miss this!  The angel had to wake Peter by striking him on his side.  I don’t know about you, but if I was facing such a hopeless situation, I cannot imagine myself in a state of deep sleep.  Remember, Peter knew what had happened to James, the brother of John, who was killed with the sword; Peter surely expected that the same fate awaited him in the morning.  And yet we find Peter in a sound sleep.  To be sure, this is the peace that passes all understanding! 

Peter—the same Peter who had once been driven into ignominious retreat by a servant girl—now trusted so completely in his Lord that he was able to remain calm in the eye of the storm.  He knew that divine deliverance was ultimately on the way, whether it was his departure from prison or his passing from this life into the next.  So gospel-saturated was Peter that he was ready, willing, and able to receive whatever divine deliverance God sent his way.

Can the same be said about you?  Are you trusting in Jesus to deliver you from whatever you are facing today—in His time and in His way?  Divine deliverance is our ultimate destiny. 

This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

There was a time when finding a priceless pearl was as difficult as it was dangerous.  Before the now-popular cultured pearl farms, where pearls are produced by implanting particles in oysters and then harvested in the billions every year, divers descended to depths of over 100 feet on a single breath, searching for the jackpot, the priceless pearl that would make them rich for life.  These divers were exposed to the dangers of the sea and hostile creatures in it.  And if that wasn’t bad enough, it was not uncommon for divers to black out and drown as a result of shallow water blackout when resurfacing from such depths. 

In the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value, Jesus was telling His audience about the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven, using a pearl as His object lesson. 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

(Matthew 13:45-46)

Jesus was not suggesting that salvation can be purchased.  That would be completely inconsistent with the clear teaching of Scripture, which teaches that salvation is a gift of God (Romans 6:23).  We must remember that parables were designed to both reveal and conceal.  Some listeners would hear the story and think it was about nothing more than money.  The pearl merchant in the parable was on an unwavering quest to discover that which was most important to him, as it related to what he knew best—pearls—and without hesitation he gave up everything for it. 

So . . . what “pearl” have you been searching for lately?  Have you been in pursuit of a pearl of power, position, prestige, prosperity, pleasure, or a pain-free providence?  Perhaps the pearl of the applause of man reclines imperiously on the throne of your life.  Remember, whatever rules your heart shapes your life!

To be sure, there is only one “pearl” that is priceless and worthy of our pursuit, and His name is Jesus Christ.  What have you given up for Him?  Is there anything you are clutching with white knuckles, refusing to release it for your Savior?  Here is what the apostle Paul said regarding his one pearl of great value: “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7).

Jesus made it clear in the Parable of the Pearl that the greatest treasure in the world is the Kingdom of Heaven.  When God is the object of our deepest desire, everything else in this life fades into the background.  As my friend and beloved Pastor Tullian likes to say, “Jesus plus nothing equals everything!”  You see, when you want Jesus more than anything else in this life, your perspective changes.  Your journey to the Celestial City becomes a joy, despite the rocky valleys you must navigate along the way.

Paul acknowledged that he had lost “all things” in his pursuit of Christ, but that he counted them “rubbish” compared to “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).  When your greatest desire is, as was Paul’s, to “gain Christ and be found in him,” struggles become servants of our Savior.

Christian, prayerfully consider every “pearl” you have been diving for . . . driving for . . . dying for . . . and ask if that pursuit is really God’s best for you.  May the confession of your life be that your pearl of great value is found in Christ and Christ alone, regardless of the cost or circumstance. 

This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, philosopher, historian, and teacher during the Victorian era.  He often spoke before large audiences.  One day, as he was preparing to leave his home to address a group, his mother asked him, “Where might you be going, Thomas?”

Thomas replied, “I’m going to tell the people what’s wrong with the world.”

“Aye, Thomas,” his mother responded, “But are you going to tell them what to do about it?”   

Because we live in a fallen, broken, sin-filled world, we are surrounded by fallen, broken, sin-filled people.  This, of course, makes it quite easy to find faults, from the frivolous to the fantastic.  I am convinced that some have the “gift” of fault-finding, forever filling their world and the people around them with nit-picking negativity that dims the light, deflates the sails, and drains the joy.

But this is not for you! 

Please don’t misunderstand me: constructive criticism and Christ-centered confrontation are often helpful and even quite necessary.  But godly correction must always be delivered in an environment that is designed to bless, not burden—to build up, not to tear down.  Remember, God-centered rebuke is the flip side of God-centered encouragement, and it is one of God’s great graces in the lives of His people. 

However, you and I have met “sour” saints who specialize in crafting the critical spirit.  They cannot get off the church parking lot after worship service without pointing out what was wrong with it . . .

·         The sermon was too long

·         The sanctuary was too cold

·         The lights were too bright

·         The music was too contemporary

·         The music was too traditional

·         The lady on my left must have used a whole bottle of perfume

·         The man to my right should have used a whole bottle of cologne

·         The person in front of me is always the one lifting his hands when we’re singing

·         The person behind me is always startling me with one of those unexpected “amen’s”

You have never met a person who was not flawed—including you!  So instead of looking for all that is wrong, broken, and not working, why not resolve to be counted among the faithful few who are good-finders rather than fault-finders?  Let us not be like the Pharisee who thanked God he was not like other men, making himself feel better by putting another down.  Rather, let us be like the tax collector who saw himself for what he truly is: the chief sinner. 

Here is a novel concept: find someone close to you doing something good, right, or beneficial and tell them so.  After they get over the initial shock, they will log it in their mental bank and at some future time when they need a little boost, they will draw on it. 

I want to take you to a portion of Scripture that was teaching a much deeper message from our Master, but it makes the point of good-finding.

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The Pharisee pointed to her past; Jesus pointed to her present.  The Pharisee focused on her problems; Jesus focused on her possibilities.  The Pharisee put her down; Jesus pulled her up.  This is the confession of the life of the Pharisee . . . and this is the confession of the life of Jesus. 

What is the confession of your life?  By God’s grace, may it be one that clearly identifies you as a good-finder. 

This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Burn-out can be defined as an overwhelming feeling of physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual exhaustion.  The causes are as limitless as the signs are ominous:

• Sickness
• Chronic fatigue
• Susceptibility to flu-like symptoms
• Angry outbursts
• Withdrawal

Is there an area in your life where are you dealing with a bit of burn-out?  Martha is one of the best examples of burn-out in all of sacred Scripture.  Luke 10:40 records that “Martha was distracted with much serving.”  Martha was doing a good thing.  In fact, she was doing the best thing: she was serving our Lord Jesus Christ.  But when her service for Jesus became more important than Jesus Himself, she had moved into the realm of burn-out.  Her service actually separated her from Jesus, rather than drawing them closer together.  What she did had become more important than who she was—a child of the Most High God.  Martha had placed her sense of identity in her service, not in her Savior.

Enter Mary. While Martha was frantically preparing a meal for her Lord, Mary was sitting contentedly on the floor at the feet of Jesus.  The difference between Mary and Martha is found in the simple fact that Mary knew her relationship with Jesus was more important than her service for Jesus.  Do you know this truth?  What does the confession of your life say?

Frazzled and frustrated, Martha cried out to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her then to help me.”  Jesus responded to Martha’s complaint, but His response was not directed at Mary; He spoke instead to Martha’s condition.  “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”  And herein lies the cure for burn-out, regardless of its cause:  sitting at the feet of Jesus!

I can tell you from personal experience as a minister that it is easy to get so wrapped up in serving that you forget your Savior.  Like the “energizer bunny,” you just keep going . . . and going . . . and going . . . and going . . . until one day you discover you’ve burned out!

Someone once said it is better to burn out than rust out.  I suppose if I had to choose between the two, I would choose to burn out.  I am not a “sideline” kind of guy.  But as Christians, we don’t have to choose between burning out and rusting out.  We simply need to remember what Mary remembered: our Savior is always more important than our service.  Wherever you might be facing a bit of burn-out right now, pause a moment and choose the “good portion,” as Mary did.  You will be far better able to face any of life’s challenges after sitting at His feet.

This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

What I am about to share with you really isn’t a secret.  Now, I know it may seem like a secret in the evangelical church today, because so many preachers have reduced the message of the Master to mere moralism.  In reality, however, it is only a secret because it has been shrouded in secrecy by Satan himself.  The adversary knows if this “secret” gets out, the church will begin to have the impact God has been calling us to have in a fallen and broken world until the day He returns to make all things new.

So what is this secret I am suggesting?  CAMP OUT UNDER THE CROSS!

In the seventh chapter of Luke’s gospel, we read about Jesus sitting down to dinner in the home of a Pharisee named Simon.  The meal was interrupted by a sinful woman who entered Simon’s house—uninvited—and approached our Lord.  We do not know what her sin was, but it was scandalous, and her actions indicate that she was likely a prostitute.  What happened next was as shocking as it was supernatural. 

I say her actions were “shocking” because religious leaders would not allow any contact with sinful people, yet Jesus let this known sinner anoint His feet with her tears and then wipe them dry with her hair.  And if that wasn’t shocking enough, she proceeded to kiss His feet and anoint them with expensive oil. 

Her actions were “supernatural” because the humility, contrition, penitence, and godly sorrow she demonstrated could only come as a work of the grace of God. 

Simon the Pharisee was scandalized, and Jesus, knowing his thoughts, told him a parable about two debtors.  The story concluded with these words: “He who has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47).

Why was the love this sinful woman lavished on our Lord so “over the top”?  She understood the difference between a holy God and a sinful woman—the vast difference between Jesus and herself.  She recognized that she was indeed a great sinner, but she also knew that Jesus was a greater Savior.  And this, dear reader, is the reason why we must “camp out under the cross” each day.  When Jesus said those who have been forgiven little love little, He was also saying that those who have been forgiven much love much. 

When we don’t camp out under the cross, we shrink the size of the cross and therefore the magnitude of the cross work of Christ.  We forget just how sinful we actually are and what our sins cost our Lord. Our lives reflect our forgetfulness.  Our love for Jesus grows cold and our zeal for obedience becomes rooted in duty rather than devotion.  We become the Pharisee in the story who cannot see his own sin, rather than embodying the unashamed love of the sinful woman who could not see any good in herself apart from Jesus. 

Only those who camp out under the cross live lives that are pleasing to God.  Only those who camp out under the cross no longer feel the need to pretend they are better than they actually are.  Only those who camp out under the cross can hop off the performance treadmill, because they know they are fully accepted by God on account of what Jesus has done for them.

Do you know this today?  Does the confession of your life demonstrate your understanding of the gospel by the way you camp out under the cross each day? 

When we pitch our tent in the cool shade of the Gospel, we remind ourselves that we are still sinners after we are saved.  In far too many churches in America, the truth that we are still sinners has been watered down with moralistic messages designed to change behavior rather than transform the heart.  If it wasn’t for sin, behavior modification would be a fine approach!  A little extra effort in one area and a little positive affirmation in another and we would be on our way to living lives of happiness and success.  But because our hearts are still deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), lawless (1 John 3:4), ungodly (Romans 4:5), and ultimately dead (Ephesians 2:1), behavior modification is like putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg.  It looks like you tried to do something, but it’s painfully obvious that your actions are absurdly inadequate. 

You see, Satan knows he cannot take the cross away from those who have been rescued by it, so he works feverishly to try to shrink it.  When he convinces believers that the cross work of Christ is only for salvation, we disregard it for our sanctification, and we no longer camp out under the cross day by day.

If we see the cross only in the light of eternal life, we will miss its benefit for everyday life.  However, when we camp out under the cross we see the incredible forgiveness we have been given by the slain Savior, having been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb.  Great sinners need an even Greater Savior—and His name is Jesus Christ. 

This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

“Oh my, I forgot!!” When was the last time you returned home from the grocery store, only to slap your forehead in disgust when you realized you’d forgotten the most important item on your list? Be honest! I know I’m not the only one who does it . . .

Question: Have you ever thought about forgetfulness as a grace of God?

Answer: It is when we are talking about God forgetting our sin!

For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.(Jeremiah 31:34)

Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.  And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.  (Hebrews 10:17-18)

When you and I forget, is it usually a bad thing.  We forget the appointment.  We forget to return a phone call.  We forget to pick up the dry cleaning.  We forget where we left our cell phone!  Yet God’s forgetfulness is a good thing, and a source of great encouragement and motivation for sinful, self-absorbed vessels like you and me. 

Thank God He is not like us!  Not only do we clearly remember every time someone wrongs us, grieves us, or hurts us; we are quick to remind the culprit, even when we claim to have forgiven him!  But God, identified as “the Judge of all the earth” in Genesis 18:25, forgives and forgets. 

What grace we receive in remembering God’s forgetfulness!  And why does God forgive and forget our sin . . . all of our sin?  Because of Jesus.

God poured out His holy wrath on His beloved Son as He hung on the cross.  He treated Jesus like you and I should have been treated.  He punished Jesus like we should have been punished.  He forsook Jesus like we should have been forsaken.  And because Jesus paid the full price for our sins, God now treats us as adopted children rather than abandoned orphans.  In Christ we are viewed by God as sinless and righteous.  We are blessed according to the perfect obedience of Jesus, rather than our own hideously imperfect obedience.  Because of Jesus, God has promised to remember our sin no more.

Is there anyone reading these words right now who does not need to be reminded about God’s forgetfulness as it relates to our sinfulness?  We all remember when a sense of guilt and shame watered down our witness—or worse, wrecked it afresh.  And that is exactly what the devil is counting on.  He cannot take us out of our Redeemer’s work, so he wants to take us out of our Redeemer’s will.  The more guilty we feel, the less good we do.  The more shame we feel, the less service we provide.  We forget God’s forgetfulness!

That is why we need to keep our thoughts fixed on the grace of the gospel and what Jesus secured for us through our redemption. 

This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Have you ever given thought to your reason for loving God?

How often is our love for God rooted in a gracious and painless providence?  How often do we take for granted all the good that God has given us—gifts such as family . . . good health . . . satisfying career  . . . financial security . . . friends . . . a great church . . . our salvation—as if we are somehow entitled to them?

 Sometimes I wonder: Is my love for God derived from all the good gifts He gives me? Or am I truly delighting in the Giver of every good and perfect gift?  In all of sacred Scripture, there may be no better person than Job to provide insight into loving God for who He is and not for His good gifts to us.

Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” (Job 1:9-11)

 Despite the fact that this insolent challenge came from the father of lies, it is still a question we should continually ask ourselves as we search our sinful hearts for the real reason for our love for God.  It is all too easy to proclaim our love for God when the sky is blue and the clouds are fleecy.  What joy it is to sing out our worship for God when the sun is shining brightly in our skies!  Painless providences can certainly produce love.  But what about those days when all seems lost?  What about those weeks when it seems that darkness will cover our land forever?  What about those seasons when we feel that God is as distant from us as the east is from the west? 

 Think about the last time you suffered loss.  Perhaps a close friend betrayed you and caused you great pain.  Maybe it was a family member who let you down by not living up to your expectations.  Maybe you were called into an office and told that a career you had loved and poured yourself into was ending with a pink slip? How was your love for the Most High God then?  How fervent was your worship?  Your answers to these questions reveal a great deal regarding your true motivation for loving and worshipping God. 

 Job loved God simply because He is God and wholly worthy of his love.  Job knew that his God was God, and he could trust God even when he could not trace Him.  In reading the story of Job you see that he struggled mightily with the painful providence God had delivered.  He wrestled with God and cried out from the depths of his heart.  But through it all, Job trusted in the goodness of God, in spite of his circumstances. 

 So let me ask you: what is your reason for loving God?  How will you think about God the next time you suffer loss . . . disappointment . . . a painful providence?  To be sure, our hearts should overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all God’s good gifts.  But we are to love and worship God, the Giver of all our good gifts AND our painful providences, as the ultimate treasure of our heart in all things and at all times. 

 Let these words from the book of Job be an encouragement to you as you continue your pilgrimage on the way to the Celestial City.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”  In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.  (Job 1:20-22)

Even in the middle of unimaginable pain, Job loved God simply because He is God.  This will be the confession of our lives only to the extent that we understand the Gospel and what Jesus did for us on the cross.  The larger the cross looms in our lives, the larger our love for God will loom in our hearts.

 This is the gospel.  This is grace for your race.  NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!