Only By Grace

Reading the Daily Bread for today, the Lord is telling me that waiting is also a time of preparation both in life and in trading. Since this is the case, impatience and impulsive buying and selling of shares have no place.  Turning to Isaiah 42:5-9, the prophet declares that the Creator and Giver of life has called Israel to open the eyes of the blind and to set the prisoners free. What greater blindness there is than not seeing the power of God displayed in creation and the greatness of his love displayed in redemption! What worst prison there is than the bondage in the kingdom of darkness! God entrusted Israel with his righteous decrees and laws and by observing them, she fulfills her calling (Deuteronomy 4:5-8). In the New Testament, we now know that such calling is given to the Body of Christ.     Forgive us Father for our impatience. Father, forgive us also for failing to fulfill the task that you have entrusted to us. Open the eyes of the blind and set the pris...

Consolidating my prayers for the months of March and April, I came up with the following prayer concern for the month of May: Help us live our lives with eternity in mind. Help us to live in love, joy, holiness and power. Let PTSCAS produce excellent, prayerful, joyful, holy, loving, powerful and productive missionaries, preachers, biblical counselors, theological educators, and Christian teachers, even chaplains and caregivers. Help us return to our first love and help us love you Lord for the remaining short and final years of our lives here on earth. Help us shepherd your people in love. Forgive us for taking your love for granted. Thank you that you are our closest Friend, our dearest Confidant, our heavenly Bridegroom. Help us sleep early so that we can wake up early and invest in eternity by spending time with you in communion and intercession. Help us to see the prison bars of our suffering as rubies and gold, as precious stones. Thank you for helping us realize that both the ex...