March 7, 2012
Just Give Me Jesus
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever (Psalm 136:2, NIV).
Friend to Friend
I know Jesus is all I need. I also know that His plan is the only thing that will bless and fill my life with power and purpose. However, I don’t believe my life really reflects that attitude. I tend to settle for so much less than God’s very best.
You may have heard the story of the man who died and went to Heaven. He was met at the Pearly Gates by Saint Peter who welcomed the man and then said, “Let’s take a look around Heaven and then I will show you to your new home.” The man was stunned by the beauty and grandeur of Heaven and could hardly wait to see what his house looked like. Peter finally stopped in front of a beautiful mansion and said, “Here you are. This is your home in Heaven. How do you like it?” The man stared in awe at the place where he would spend eternity. “I can’t wait to see what it looks like on the inside,” the man exclaimed. Saint Peter took the man by the arm and said, “Let’s take a look.”
When Saint Peter opened the front door, the man gasped at the sight before him. Beautiful boxes of all shapes and sizes were stacked from the ceiling to the floor in every room. “I don’t understand. What are all of these boxes doing here?” Saint Peter sadly smiled and said, “We will have them removed as soon as possible. These are all of the blessings we had waiting for you on earth – but you never asked for them. Now it’s too late.”
God longs to pour out His blessings on His children. We have somehow bought into the lie that we will receive good things from God by working harder, trying to be better or doing more good things. Girlfriend, that is from the pit and smells like smoke.
We are saved by God’s grace and nothing we do or don’t do will ever be good enough to earn the favor of God. In Ephesians the apostle Paul tells us that salvation is a gift – period.
Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) “Forit is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God … “
If we could earn salvation, it would simply be a salary for works we have done. We are saved through faith in God alone. Salvation and the blessings of God are His gifts to us. We simply receive them. And yet, we try to make the blessings of God seem almost impossible to experience. He is just waiting for us to seek Him … to listen for His voice … and then to follow Him.
Just imagine that today is your child’s birthday. You have a wonderful party planned and have spent a lot of time picking out the perfect birthday gift. Do you expect your child to earn that gift by cleaning the house, doing the laundry, taking out the trash and completing every job on a very long list of chores you have prepared? Of course not! You simply want to delight in the joy on your child’s face when he or she receives and opens that special gift.
I have received the gift of salvation as have many of you. We have surrendered our lives to Him and are seeking to follow Him. But I want everything He has planned for me – don’t you? The good news is that God wants us to come to Him with “shameless audacity” and ask for His blessings.
Luke 11:5-10 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Did you catch the mind-blowing truth in this passage of Scripture? The words “shameless audacity” jumped out at me for the first time as my husband preached a powerful message on this passage of Scripture. Don’t miss this truth, girlfriend! God wants us to pray and live and breathe with the mindset that we want everything He has planned for us now and eternally! And we can come to Him with that shameless audacity – not because of anything we have done – but because of who He is and what He has planned for each one of us. He is God! He is our Lord and Savior and our Father who is just waiting to pour out His amazing blessings on His daughters. Why? Because He loves us! He adores us! We were created by God for God. As Max Lucado says, “If God had a refrigerator our pictures would be on it!”
Today, grab hold of the truth that in the eyes of God you are somebody special. You are planned and wanted. You belong. You are chosen. Come before Him and tell Him you crave His plan and purpose for your life. Now hold out your hands, girlfriend. God’s highest and richest blessings for your life are on their way!
Let’s Pray
Father, I am tired of settling for the meager leftovers this world has to offer. Forgive me for not being willing to step out in faith and seek You and the plan You have for my life. Lord, I really do want everything You have in store for me. Right now, I come to You in shameless audacity and ask that You pour those blessings into my life. I receive them from Your hand of mercy and grace and thank You in advance for what You are going to do in my life as I seek and follow You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read and memorize Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” How would you define “grace” and “faith” as they apply to your life?
Read and memorize 2 Timothy 1:9 “He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” What is God’s purpose for your life?
Write out a prayer of commitment thanking God for His blessings in your life and for the blessings He has in store for you.
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