August 3-Aimless with Barnacles?

Today is Friday and my vacation week is just about to come to a close. How has your week been? Yesterday after the storm, we were beach combing and came upon a log covered in barnacles. We were trying to decide how long it had been floating aimlessly in the ocean and where on earth it could have possibly come from. The truth is it could have come from almost anywhere in the world. Casey was recounting a story about a shipping container lost at sea and the contents showed up months later on several different continents. 


Without direction, without a plan, without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can end up like that log covered in the scars of life from not making good decisions, where we have just been washed to and fro with the storms, bounced along by the waves until at some point we just end up stuck in the sand. The truth is, we by our own volition, do not have the wherewithal to direct our lives with the purpose for which we were created. We not only need a Savior, we also need the day to day guidance of the Spirit. 


“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”

‭‭Titus‬ ‭3:4-8‬ ‭NIV‬


So to keep from having too many barnacles and being swept along by every passing wave, trust in God, and be careful to devote ourselves to doing what is good—it’s excellent and profitable! And that devotion to good? Only can come with a daily renewal through the Holy Spirit. Because even though we want to do good, we try to do good, on our own....it just doesn’t happen. (Read Romans 7)


Our Father thank you for your gift of the Spirit to guide us and to give us daily counsel. We praise you and magnify your holy Name for you alone are worthy of honor and glory. You have saved us and washed us clean. Our hearts have been renewed by the blood of the Lamb and we are found blameless in your sight. The only good we do is because of you, our Lord. We sing hallelujah to our King. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one,

Pam

Comments

  1. LisaAugust 3, 2018 at 5:26 AM

    Thank you! Prayers for a safe trip home. Love to you and your sweet family.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 17, 2020

Happy Friday. It’s the end of another week and we have had more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us and sometimes that takes quite a bit of effort. I don’t know about you, but I’m not always anxious to embrace others and really listen to them or share with them (especially those who I don’t know well). Sometimes, I just look at them and think “Are you for real?” I don’t always agree with people over politics, sports or of course, religion. And let’s face it, we’d rather spend time with people we like and mostly agree.  And then I read my Bible. God hasn’t called us to sit in our little groups with only those we naturally gravitate towards, but to love people—all people, even those who aren’t necessarily loveable. In this passage, Paul writing to the people of Colosse remarks on how wonderful it is that they truly love others. That love must have really been something over and above the normal and he tells them that it is evident that it comes from the Holy Sp
Read more

January 15, 2020

Happy Wednesday to you. I hope your week is going well. Yesterday, I went to Sams. I was out of things like trash bags, toilet paper, and chicken, so off I went. I like going to Sams because there is always lots to look at and the isles are nice and wide. Everytime I’m there, I am amazed at how much stuff and everything from diapers to TVs to mangos to beds. It just seems incredible that so many things in such quantities are all under one roof.  King David never saw a store with as much stuff aa Sams of course, but he did see countless miracles and understand that God has plans. He knew from creation and history that he was serving a God of miracles and he know that God loved him and his people and would take care of them. He was amazed and awe-struck by the fact that a God who had done such great and mighty things not only cared about his people but that He loved them with such a great love.  “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can co
Read more

January 9, 2020

It’s Thursday and I woke up to the blowing wind! Lots of it—I’m dreading Boomer waking up and having to go outside with him. That harsh, bitter wind seems cruel and almost evil. But I’ll wrap myself up with a fe layers and boots and brave it all.  Sometimes I think we try to do that with things we know aren’t right—things that are evil. We try to wrap ourselves up and just wade into it, but Paul tells us we should reject it—stay away from it. “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:20-24‬ NIV When he wrote this he’d been in Berea and the Christians there diligently searched the scriptures to make sure everything Paul said was in line. Paul here is encouraging the Thessalonians to
Read more