The Father's Embrace

Growing up in my family we gave a hug with every goodbye. You didn’t think about it. You just did it. For some forgotten reason my dad gave me a ride to school one day in Jr. High. As we pulled up to the school, I saw the friends I usually walked with waiting for me. Instead of giving my dad his quick hug, I just scooped up my books and got out of the car.

Like a moment frozen in time, I have never forgot the look on my dad’s face. He was turned slightly towards me with his arms open waiting for my embrace that never came.

I wonder how many times our Heavenly Father waits with His arms open expecting our embrace. How often do we turn from Him because we worry what the world may think? Isaiah 40:11 reminds us,

He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.

Our Lord wants to hold us in His arms. That’s where we belong. Don’t deny your Father the embrace we all need!

God's Poem

When God saves us by His grace, we begin to get a picture of God’s design for our lives. Long before we were born God was at work. Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) reminds us,

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

You were created for good works. That is part of your purpose. God has fashioned you for this and made preparation far in advance. The Greek word for workmanship in Ephesians 2:10 is “poema”. It’s where we get our English word “poem”. You can think about it this way.

You are God’s Poem. Penned by God long ago. Now, a poem is fashioned with great care, detail, and creativity. A poem reflects the author. A poem is meant to be read by others. How does your Poem read? Are people better for reading the Poem of your life? We get into trouble when we try to write our story alone, on our own, apart from God. When we step into the story God started for us long ago something amazing happens. We begin to live with a destiny and a reverence for life that can hardly be expressed with words. When people read our Poem, they are better for it. It nourishes their souls and points them to the Author because that is what God purposed it to do.

If your Poem has some rough patches and you’ve been trying to write the story alone, don’t fret. Your story isn’t finished yet. Just hand the pen back to the Author, your Creator, your God. I can’t say how every detail of your poem will read, but I happen to know the Author. He tends to throw a few twists and turns in there. He keeps us on our toes. He captures the heart. The stories He tells change lives, and He will always finish the stories that He starts. When they are finished, they are beautiful.

Today make sure you…

1. Have received the free gift of salvation in Jesus.
2. Are walking in the good works God prepared for you.
3. Always let God hold the pen that’s writing your story.

Two Small Copper Coins

God often has a different way of looking at things than we do, particularly when it comes to what we have to give. It’s easy for us to obsess over the size of a gift but God is focused on something deeper. Take a moment to reflect on the words of Jesus from Mark 12:41-44 (ESV),

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Who was it that caught the eye of our Lord Jesus in this story? Was it those putting large sums of money into the offering box? No, on the contrary, it was a poor widow. In comparison she had very little to give, just two small copper coins, but those two small copper coins mattered to Jesus. They symbolized something more valuable than money. They symbolized a heart of faith and generosity that was dependent on God. You see, with God, the size of our heart matters more than the size of our gift.

Faith is the currency that matters most to God. God wants you to depend on Him and He also wants to work through you. It doesn’t matter how much money, skills, power, or popularity you have. Take whatever you have today, though it be small, even if it’s just two small copper coins and trust God with it all. You’ll be amazed how much God can do with a willing heart. Do you remember the words of that old hymn?

Little is much when God is in it
Labor not for wealth or fame
There's a crown, and you can win it
If you go in Jesus' name

Choose Kindness

Here’s a little bit of history that might just warm your heart. There was a time in our country when, for either lack of money or material, people would repurpose the material from flour sacks to make clothes for their family. This was a common practice during the Great Depression and World War 2 era. In 1939, in Kansas, when the wheat mills realized that mothers were using their sacks to make clothes for children, they decided to do something incredibly kind. The wheat mills started printing floral designs on their flower sacks so that the children would have something nice to wear when the fabric was repurposed. Not only that, but they also made it so that the labels on the sacks could easily be washed out. They saw a need and chose kindness.

It’s not hard to choose kindness, and step outside of your normal routine to bless someone. Kindness is one of the simplest ways to show love. In many respects, kindness is love in action. If we open our eyes, I think we will see that God presents us with many opportunities to be kind each and every day. Here are a few verses that I think remind and encourage us to choose kindness.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
-Ephesians 4:32, ESV

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
-Proverbs 19:17, ESV

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
-1 Peter 3:9, ESV

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
-Galatians 6:10, ESV

Regardless of what’s on your schedule, where you are, or who you’re with, choose kindness today. Open your eyes to opportunities and open your heart to let God’s love work through you. Sometimes it’s the simple acts of kindness that make the biggest difference.