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MEDITATION:

Written by Paul David Tripp, a contemporary pastor and Christian author. This is an excerpt from his book “New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional.”

Sin does two very significant things to us all. First, it causes us all to insert ourselves into the center of our worlds, making life all about us. In our self-focus, we are all too motivated by our wants, our needs, and our feelings, and because we are, we tend to be more aware of what we don’t have than of the many wonderful blessings that we have been given. But there is more; because we are self-focused, we tend to be scorekeepers, constantly comparing our piles of stuff to the piles of others. It’s a life of discontentment and envy. Envy is always selfish.

There is a second thing of equal significance that sin does to us. It causes us to look horizontally for what can only be found vertically. So we look to creation for life, hope, peace, rest, contentment, identity, meaning and purpose, inner peace, and motivation to continue. The problem is that nothing in creation can give you these things. Creation was never designed to satisfy your heart. Creation was made to be one big finger pointing you to the One who alone has the ability to satisfy your heart. Many people will get up today and in some way will ask creation to be their savior, that is, to give them what only God is able to give. When you are satisfied with the Giver, because you have found in him the life you were looking for, you are freed from the ravenous quest for satisfaction that is the discouraging existence of so many people., Yes, it is true that your heart will rest only ever when it has found rest in Him. 

One of the most beautiful fruits of grace is a heart that is content, more given to worship than demand and more given to the joy of gratitude than the anxiety of want. It is grace and grace alone that can make this kind of peaceful living possible for each of us. Won’t you reach out today for that grace?

PRAYER:

Written by Robert Hawker (1753-1827), a popular Anglican  preacher, poet, and author.

I come now for large supplies of your grace, mercy, pardon, and peace. I seek you, Jesus — you yourself, with your gifts, with all your fullness and all your blessings.And I am sure if you will give me as large a hand to receive as my Lord’s hand is to give, I will be blessed. Amen.