Just this week we learned with thankful hearts that:  I am a child of God, I am indwelt by His Holy Spirit and I am reconciled to God.  David knew he was loved by God, had a purpose to fulfill for Him and that God would send a Savior to save all mankind.  Read and reflect today on David’s words in Psalm 51.

Psalm 51  “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,  
    till the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me;     
    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!    

God is ever faithful to you and me just as He was to his servant David.  Praise Him today as you worship together.

Linda

Because I believe Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am reconciled to God.  To be reconciled means to be brought into a right relationship with someone that you had been in opposition to or opposed to for some reason.  The reason we were in opposition to God is because of our sin.  God is pure and holy and cannot have a relationship with anything that is unholy or sinful.  In Romans 5:10-11 Paul puts it this way, “ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.  More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”   Through Jesus’ death on the cross he made it possible for us to be reconciled to God through faith in Him.  He returned us to a place of favor in God’s sight.  What a wonderful Savior we have in Jesus!

Does your life reflect the reconciliation made possible by Jesus? Do you cherish the relationship you have with God?  Do you seek to know Him through His Word and talk with Him each day in prayer?  It is an amazing fact that the God of the universe desires to have a relationship with you.  Thank you Jesus for making this possible.

Eternally grateful for Jesus’ work of reconciliation,

Linda

Because I believe Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  That is a very powerful fact that permeates the life of every believer.  Paul was speaking to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:16,  who were arguing with one another.  He says, “ Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”   Because we have God’s Holy Spirit inside of us, guiding and directing our hearts, we are to be loving and united in faith and purpose.   Romans 5:1-5 explains this in more detail.  “ Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.  Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.  We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  Paul makes it clear that we are made right with God through Jesus and that He loved us so much He gave us His Spirit to indwell us.   His Holy Spirit works from within- guiding, encouraging and giving us the power to live for Him each day.

Prayer:  Thank you Jesus for your work on the cross and your victory over death that makes it possible through faith for me to have your Spirit dwelling in my heart.   Without Your Holy Spirit I would  be powerless to live for You.  Thank you Jesus. Amen.

Eternally grateful that I am filled with His Spirit,

Linda

To begin our Lenten focus on who I am because of Christ, I choose a perspective that is essential for all believers to know and internalize in their daily walk with Jesus.

Because I believe Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead,  I am a child of God.  The Bible is filled with references to God’s children, those who believe in Him.  Let’s look at  John 1:12-13  to see why. “ But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”   John specifically tells us that belief in Jesus gives us the right or privilege to become a child of God.  It is a birth that comes from God.  Why is this important?  Just like in any household, being a child there gives one privileges or benefits that come from being your father’s child.  You might have a room of your own, a pool to use, food to eat, a car to drive and receive the love of your parents and siblings.  God’s family is like that too.  We have His Spirit to indwell us, coming mansions in heaven, use of all God’s kingdom to speak of His love, provision of clothes, food and things we need in life, brothers and sisters in faith to share with and most importantly His love forever. What a great family!  

As you begin your Lenten journey, think about being a child of God.  Thank Jesus for providing the way for you to come into His family and enjoy the wonderful privileges that you have because of His sacrifice. Thank you Jesus.

Eternally grateful that I am His child.

Linda

For Lent to begin on Valentine’s Day is ironic.  The day for expressing romantic love is the beginning of a season of reflection and prayer for God’s greatest expression of Love towards us in sacrificing His only son to save us from sin’s penalty.  John 3:16-17 puts it succinctly,  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  God’s love for us is so much more than any romantic love we can even imagine.  His love is complete, full, holy, pure, for our good and eternal.  What a great love we have in Christ.

As we center our thinking on Christ these next 40 days.  I found this quote by Pope Francis and thought it was so insightful as to how Lent should affect our thoughts and behaviors.  He presents a thoughtful approach to fasting and I personally feel it is much more difficult than giving up chocolate or alcohol.  Will you choose an area or two of focus for yourself for these next 40 days?

In my Lenten blogs, I will be focusing on what I am now because Christ imputed His righteousness to me.  I pray you will find this Lenten focus helpful and that it will lead you into a deeper love for  your Savior. and greater connection with His sacrifice for you.

If you feel uplifted by reading my daily blog thoughts- sent it on to others.  Encouraging one another in faith glorifies God and His work in us.

Yours for 40 days,

Linda

Lent begins on Wednesday.  If we were in New Orleans we would be celebrating during the Mardi Gras season awaiting tomorrow better known as ‘Fat Tuesday’.  This is the biggest and last day of the festival.  Why celebrate?  Beginning in Medieval times people would celebrate by eating rich foods and drinking before the season of Lent that brought penance and fasting.   Today I hear people say, “This is my last_____ for 6 weeks”.  This could be chocolate, french fries, alcohol or anything else one feels would be a sacrifice to eliminate from their diet for the 6 weeks leading up to Easter.  All of the ‘sacrifice’ points to the ultimate sacrifice that Christ made by dying on the cross for our sins.

What about you?  Be sure to catch Wednesday’s blog as I’ve included a list from Pope Francis on things you might consider giving up.  I was intrigued and I think you will be too.

As for myself, I tried ‘giving’ something up for several years and did not find it focused me enough on Christ or helped me identify with His suffering.  So I tried adding something on.  I found that a greater more focusing action.  For example, one could commit to a certain amount of time in prayer, bible study, attending daily church services, working with support groups feeding the homeless, etc.  The sacrifice of time and intent connected me more to Christ and His suffering.  Each person has to find their own connection to Christ during this time of ‘fasting’.

Suggestion– follow my blog each day and meditate on the scripture and idea presented about Christ.  I will be focusing on who I am now because of what Christ did for me on the cross.  I pray it will give added meaning to your Lenten Season.

Looking forward to my 6 weeks with anticipation as I know my faithful Savior waits will teach me each day more about himself,

Linda