A Promise for You and Your Children

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Donna Harris

A Promise for You and Your Children

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 18

Reflections on Acts 1 – 6

For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. Acts 2:39

As a parent and grandparent, I never want my children and grandchildren to ever doubt a promise I make to them. When I make a promise, I have given my word…I am determined to keep that promise. I want the ones I love most to trust me, to take me at my word, to never doubt that I will do what I say. Granted, I am careful with what I promise because it hurts so bad whenever a promise is broken. Sadly, I’ve broken a few promises even with trying to be so very careful. I’ve disappointed the ones that I love the most.

On this personal journey with 40 Gifts of Lent, I am discovering and unwrapping a new gift…delivered daily, from the pages of the life-giving Word. The amazing gift is God always keeps his promise. God brings glory to himself by forever keeping his promise. He will never disappoint. The Word he gives is the only true word we can truly trust, without a doubt.

In the beginning, a promise was made to us. A promise was made by the Covenant maker to us…the humanity of covenant breakers. Clearly, he has spoken commands and warnings for us to heed. If we would simply stop, look, and listen (profound words my 3 year old granddaughter says we must do) to his Word of promise, we would love our neighbor, we would be fruitful in our work and ministry, we would we wise with our finances, we would be giving to people in need, we would be more compassionate…

The gift God hands to us is a changed life, by believing his promise of sending his son to rescue us from all of our history of breaking promises and all of our future failures of speaking shallow lifeless words we can’t keep…”I promise, I will not do this again!”

The amazing beautiful gift of God’s forever promise is for me and my children and my grandchildren and beyond!

Stop, look and listen…he is calling you. He is calling you that are far away from him.

A promise for you and your children

For the promise is for you and your children

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The Source of Joy

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Donna Harris

The Source of Joy

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 17

Reflections on John 15 – end

“I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing…I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” John 15: 5 and 11 (Amplified)

The only way that we can maintain and even increase joy in our lives is to abide in Christ. If we are cut off from Him, we cannot expect to be joyful. It is only under the nourishing hand and tender care of our Lord that we can count it all joy.

It is not surprising that many Christians who spend little time with Christ experience little joy. This is not as it should be. Jesus tells us that only by remaining in Him will we find joy: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” We can know joy in this life, but it can only come from abiding in Jesus Christ.

Adapted from, “The Source of Joy” | www.ligonier.org

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Receive This Peace |Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent 2014

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Donna Harris

Receive This Peace | Sunday Respite | 40 Gifts of Lent

I leave my peace with you.

I give my peace to you.

I do not give it to you as the world does.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

And do not be afraid.

John 14:27 (NIrV)

Through Christ, we have peace. Through Christ we can be deeply joyful. Through Christ we can have unshakable faith. I want the kind of peace that He gives, not the kind the world gives. I want the kind of joy that he gives, not the world’s joy. I want the kind of faith that can only he can give.

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The Orphan in Me

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Donna Harris

The Orphan in Me

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 16

Reflections on John 10 – 14

“I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back.” John 14:18

There are moments and days when I begin to think, feel, and live as an orphan…as though I don’t have a Heavenly Father that loves me deeply and is involved in every detail of my life. I’m impatient, grumpy, defensive and selfish. “I wish there were shortcuts to wisdom and self-knowledge: cuter abysses or three-day spa wilderness experiences. Sadly, it doesn’t work out that way.” [1] I repent, I smell as a dirty orphan this morning. I wish there was a quick fix or pressing the “easy button” would snap me out of this. “There is no such shortcut, only a repentant faith, which is better by far.” [2]

[1] Ann Lamont, Stitches | [2] Scotty Smith, Everyday Prayers

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She Collided Into More Grace

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Donna Harris

She Collided Into More Grace

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 15

Reflections on John 6 – 9

“…One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25

About four years ago, she was spiraling into a black hole of depression, doubting God’s love for her, questioning her purpose in life. Her faith was becoming shattered and trust was replaced with doubt. Her mind, will, and emotions were exhausted, fragile, drying up and withering away. Nothing made sense anymore. Prayers were lifeless and she felt that God was not listening. Was God there in this mess she was going through?

She ventured further on a path of addiction and hopelessness…careening further from truth, driving blindly through a storm towards a train wreck.

The flashing red lights warning of an approaching train was suddenly noticed, the crossing gate did not come down…she was immediately on the track. She looked to the right through the window…the sound of the train’s whistle pierced the silence, along with her terrifying scream as the enormous bright light of the oncoming train swallowed the darkness where she sat behind the wheel of her car.

The only explanation she has for what happened next is a miracle of God’s immense love and mercy for her.

Within seconds…in a flash she looked at her rear-view mirror to see the train speed by with the sounds of the screaming whistle and screeching wheels pulsing in her chest…and she wept and wept and wept.

If you happen to ask her about all of that, she will tell you that she heard God call her name immediately after she crossed those tracks. And she will tell you that simultaneously, her eyes were opened to believing God was in the mess with her. He was in control of her life. And the mess she was living was his perfect plan and his perfect storm to reveal his glory to her.

She knows he pursued her when she was blind and desperate. She collided into more grace. She has never been the same.

About 40 Gifts of Lent

I am anticipating the arrival of Easter and celebrating the most amazingly good gift I’ve ever received. I want to focus my heart on the fulfilled expectation of Christ’s first coming and the glorious expectation of His second coming. I want to focus on the freedom I have in Christ to overcome strongholds, yet also to gain strength, hope, and peace as I lean into the trials…To continue reading, please go here: 40 Gifts of Lent

Completely Known and Still Loved

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Donna Harris

Completely Known

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 14

Reflections on John 1 – 5

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:29

She goes to the well in search of water and has a collision with the transforming power of the gospel of grace. Her soul is thirsty to be satisfied with something more…but she has looked for it in all the wrong places. She is broken, lonely, and in need of real love and acceptance.

She doesn’t know what she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know that she needs Jesus.

And there you are, Jesus, understanding who she is. You know everything about her, everything she has done and every place she has been. Yet, because you are a wonderful, merciful savior you are not condemning but accepting, not shaming but cherishing, not ridiculing but redeeming her forever.

There is nothing I have ever done or ever will do that will prevent you from pursuing me. You know me completely. You go to the dark places where I live to shine your light of grace and mercy.

I need to collide into grace everyday…moment by moment. It is a gift to be pursued by you…to be completely known and still loved. You are the Messiah.

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On The Road to Emmaus Meet the Hero of the Story

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Donna Harris

On The Road to Emmaus, Meet the Hero of the Story

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 13

Reflections on Luke 20 – end

Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Luke 24:17 (NASB)

We often read the Bible as if it were fundamentally about us: our improvement, our life, our triumph, our victory, our faith, our holiness, our godliness. We treat it like a book of timeless principles that will give us our best life now if we simply apply those principles. We treat it, in other words, like it’s a heaven-sent self-help manual. But by looking at the Bible as if it were fundamentally about us, we totally miss the Point…like the two on the road to Emmaus.

As Luke 24 shows, it’s possible to read the Bible, while missing the whole point of the Bible. It’s entirely possible to read the stories and miss the real Story.

Contrary to popular assumptions, the Bible is not a record of the blessed good, but rather the blessed bad. The Bible is not a witness to the best people making it up to God; it’s a witness to God making it down to the worst people. The OT predicts God’s rescuer; the NT presents God’s rescuer.

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them. So, if we read the Bible asking first, “What would Jesus do?” instead of asking “What has Jesus done” we’ll miss the good news that alone can set us free.

In all of its pages and throughout all of its stories, the Word of the Lord reveals the Lord of the Word. Some people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you’ll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren’t heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose), they get afraid and run away. At times, they’re downright mean.

The gift is the plot line of the Bible, which is Jesus-centered. He is the Hero of the Story.

Adapted and Quoted from The Gospel Coalition | Tullian Tchividjian | Reading the Stories and Missing the Story | Reading the Bible Narcissistically

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I Want to See!

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Donna Harris

I Want to See!

40 Gifts of Lent | Gift 12

Reflections on Luke 13 – 19

“What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Luke 18:51 (NIV)

There was a time when I couldn’t see clearly at all. I packed for an extended trip out-of-town without an extra set of contact lenses or packing my standard go-to pair of eye glasses. Unaware that I had forgotten to pack either, I tossed the contact lenses, that I had already worn for a month, down the drain. Upon realizing my circumstance, It wasn’t long before a substantial panic attack ensued. I was stranded in a haze of blurred color and fuzzy shapes until someone came to rescue me.

I don’t take for granted that I can see the bright color of flowers and the sharp bending of branches in a magnificent tree or the sparkling twinkling eyes of my granddaughter when she laughs with me. Yes, I am thankful for my sight…but many days and much too often, I remain blind. Images of people in need are blurred. The needs of the homeless and children on the street are hazy.

I wrote about experiencing a radical mercy, yet I avoid noticing…I avoid looking, to see the way of grace and mercy.

So, I pray, “Lord, I want to see.” I want to see beyond the skin of the hurting person seeking help. I want to see that child, with needs that are woven in a special tapestry, so different from others. I want to see clearly how to make a difference…I want to see how to leave an imprint for the glory of God.

“I want to see!” I need God to rescue me. I need to pray this everyday. The gift is when God restores my sight, I will see His grace and I will show and live His grace and mercy to others.

It should be the thing that greets your mind and fills your heart as you wake each morning. It should be your final thought as you settle in for a night of sleep. It should define how you face your day, and it should shape your self-reflections. It should be the thing that directs how you respond to others. It should be at the forefront of your thoughts in times of trouble or disappointment. It should alter how you think about finances, possessions, decisions, relationships, and everything else. It should be a central theme of your existence. It’s so huge, so gorgeous, and so glorious that once it gets hold of you, you’ll never be the same again. I am talking about God’s grace ~Paul David Tripp

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A Life Filled with More Grace is a Story Worth Sharing

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A Promise for You and Your Children