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Scripture for the day: Psalm 146:5-9; Galatians 5:13 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD raises those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow … For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Thought for the day: I woke early this morning; in fact I woke several times before I actually got out of bed. But one time I remember waking up and I was lying at just the right angle, I suppose, to hear what, at first, I took to be the rhythm from some song being played a bit too loudly on a car stereo. As I lay there, I suddenly realized the sound wasn’t coming from outside the house at all. Rather, the sound was coming from inside. You know how confused you can be when you’re first coming out of the coma we call sleep. Well, after a few moments of careful listening I realized the noise I heard was my own heart beating (not a bad sound to hear the first thing in the morning I guess, especially when you’re my age; it tends to remind us that we’re still alive).
Anyway, I know some people who would think, as they lay there listening to their own heart beat, “There are neurons working in my brain to produce an electrical signal. That signal is being transferred via synaptic connections to tiny nerve endings which are connected to larger, more powerful nerves, and which transmit that electrical signal to my spinal cord. At the spinal cord, that signal joins with literally millions of others, following a predetermined path through the spinal cord and out into the body where it finally arrives at this amazing bit of muscle called the heart. At the heart this electrical impulse shocks other nerves causing them to contract and expand at regular intervals. These contractions result in this heart muscle of mine pumping blood throughout my body, providing oxygen and other nutrients to various places in order that I may breathe and have my existence.” I, on the other hand, simply said, “Thank you, Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Now this caused me to begin to think about other things the Lord has done. You see, we’re not just fearfully and wonderfully made on a physical level. The miracle of the new birth is perhaps even more amazing and wonderful. I can sit here and give a theological description of all the things that had to happen in order for any of us to be born again, but when I’m all done it would boil down to – “Thank you Lord, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” And I am fearfully and wonderfully made for freedom in Christ Jesus.
He has set us free from the bondage of sin we were in, free from the disease of sin that ruled and ruined our lives; free from the strife and confusion of a life lived estranged from the One who created us. And today we can enjoy that freedom because the life we now live, we live by faith in Jesus Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith.” Oh, my friends, live today as if it were the only day you’ll ever have (hopefully not, but perhaps it is).
Now go take on your world. - Bill