Abundant Grace: May 2015

Friday, May 29, 2015

God Has Prepared for all Our Needs

“And the Lord {made} Eden, and there He put man.” Genesis 2:8

Have you ever considered the wonderful preparations that God made for man? Before He made man He made light, earth and sea, trees and flowers, birds and fish, and animals or every type. There was nothing that man could need that God had not prepared beforehand. And when He made man He made a paradise to put man in. God has been so wonderful to His unique creation.

But He gave even more. God made a woman for man because He knew we needed her. He gave them bliss together and free range of Paradise with only one simple rule. “Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” With everything else provided, how hard could it be to not eat of just one tree? But man rebelled and ate anyway. But the gift of God just kept on giving. His only Son had declared before the foundation of the world that He would die on the cross for man’s foolish sins. God completely provided all things for man for now and eternity.

Dear Father, Thank You for Your wonderful provision. Amen.

The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend. Amen

Abundant Grace can be found at my website, www.davidccraig.net. You can subscribe to this daily devotion and receive it free M-F simply by choosing the Abundant Grace tab and sign up for regular delivery to your email account. You can also find Quality Christian Books on my website plus fundraising opportunities for your Christian organization or youth group.

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Thursday, May 28, 2015

Uniquely Made by God

“And God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” Genesis 2:7

The world is full of confusion about the identity of man. So called scientists will babble on about how man is just another animal. Hyper-environmentalists will insist that man isn’t higher than other animals and that we are the least essential animal on the planet. Paul says that men will “worship the creation more than the creator”. Communism insists that man is just like any other animal that can be fully molded to the will of a superior mind or force and that he has no unique moral qualities. Yes, the world is in confusion about man.

But Christians should not be. We should rejoice in the uniqueness of our creation and in the wonderful connection to the Creator that such uniqueness brings. God breathed into us His spirit and made us spiritual beings, beings designed for eternity, not for dust. God spoke and all the animals came into being. God formed us and gave us spiritual uniqueness. We, of all creatures, should be most eager to praise the Lord.

Dear Father, I give You praise for I am wonderfully and uniquely made. Amen.

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Wednesday, May 27, 2015

The Image of God Restored

“And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image’.” Genesis 1:26

At the beginning of mankind’s existence, we were made in the image of God. With Adam’s fall we had that image marred by sin from the point of conception. But Jesus Christ came to restore Adam’s fallen race and make all things new. He said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.” We must be remade in the image of God as at the beginning of our existence. Once restored through His grace and made into His child, we should desire to live according to the new image He has placed in us.

Paul likes the phrase, “That ye henceforth no longer live” as we did when our life was bound up in our sinful nature. Then Paul says, “But put on” the new nature of Christ in you. We cannot do this by ourselves; we must let Christ do it in us by our yieldedness to the Holy Spirit who directs our steps in holy living. Then we can sing, “From glory to glory He’s changing me” back into the image of God.

Dear Father, Let Your image be seen in me for Your glory sake. Amen

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

When God Speaks

“Then God said, ‘Let there be . . .’ and there was . . .” Genesis 1:3

Try this simple experiment, hold your empty hand out and say to it, “Let there be a bird,” and see if a bird appears. It is not likely to happen. But when God talks, the void is filled with the demands of His voice. When Jesus was asleep in the boat during the storm and His disciples panicked with fear, Jesus woke up and stilled the storm with a word. When God speaks the universe listens.

What about us? God has given to us His Word. It has been inspired by Him who is without error in His being. It is certified by Him with the death and resurrection of His Son. It is declared by Him to be profitable for every need of the believer’s life. The question remains for the believer, are we like all the universe and respond to His voice, or are we more interested in our own will and way? As Jesus said, “He that hath an ear, let him hear.”

Dear Father, You alone are true and wise, remind me of this every day. Amen.

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Monday, May 25, 2015

Seeking God in the Beginning

“In the beginning God . . .” Genesis 1:1

These four simple words may be the most well-known quartet in Christendom. But what do they mean for us in a practical everyday sort of way. After all, an important part of all Bible study is the question, “How does that apply to me?” Day by day, how does this simple beginning of Scripture apply to us? Let us consider just a few ways.

We all have a beginning to our day. Do we begin it with God, with prayer to Him or the reading of His Word? We all have a beginning of life and the lives of our children. Did we bring them to God at the beginning? Have we focused their lives on Him? We all have beginnings of great new events in our lives? Do we focus on God, His plan for us in each of these adventures, at the beginning of them? Let the simple beginning of Scripture help us focus on what needs to be at the beginning of everything in our lives.

Dear Father, Help me begin each of my beginnings with a focus on you. Amen.

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Friday, May 22, 2015

A Time of Celebration: Rejoice with those who rejoice

Today I want to wish my bride happy anniversary. 40 years ago this coming Sunday we will celebrate our anniversary. I graduated from college on 5/17 and we were married on 5/24/75.

Ten years ago someone asked me how many years we had been married and I said 30. Then they asked me how many years I'd been happily married. I said 30, less a few weeks when I was acting like a baby.

This year I celebrated 43 years of being a child of God. He wonderfully opened my eyes to His grace in 1972, and accepted this miserable lost sinner as His child. How many years have I happily been His child? Most of those years I have been, and when I haven't been it hasn't been His fault.

When we got married, Jacque and I figured that we could be married 75 years and still be in fairly good health. That might have been the optimism of youth, but we are still working on finishing that goal. When Christ saved me he offered me a much longer relationship. He offered me eternal life, a life never ending with Him. Jacque and I may or may not get to our 75th anniversary. I rather hope we do, I do love her and enjoy her companionship. But I know that I will get to the anniversary of eternity with Christ because He promised I would, and He is able to keep all His promises.

So, happy anniversary my dearly beloved bride. Forty years have been a joyous time together. Happy anniversary my dearly beloved Savior. Eternity will be a joyous time together.

We said "I do" and made great plans,

He said, "I did" and took my hand,

We've gone along the path of life

He my Savior, you my wife,

Fond memories of forty years,

Of life and joy and life and tears,

Fond promises still lie ahead,

Of joy with you while life shall last,

Eternal joy when life is past.

The Friday Benediction

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Friday, May 8, 2015

The Lord Is My Banner

To celebrate our two year anniversary, and to give me a creative break, Abundant Grace will be reprinting some classic blog devotions from year one for the next month.

Banner of my life be praised, Exalted Name of God’s great grace,

Banner of my life lift high, Thy glorious Name above the sky,

Banner of my life may all, See Thy grace and on Thee call,

Thou art blest forever blest; Thy banner gives to us our rest,

Banner of my life, my love; I give to Thee who reigns above.

(Sung to tune: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)

One of the beautiful Old Testament names of God is The Lord is my Banner. The grace we find is clearly seen in the little word “my”. God has given something very special to His people. There is a covering that does not cover the entire world. It covers those who by faith will come under it and it will provide them with all the promises, power and blessings that the banner provides.

This Name was used of God when the Israelites were on their exodus from Egypt. They were attacked by a very warlike and hostile tribe. A group of slaves were facing one of the most aggressive armies of the day. How could they prevail? Moses went up on a mountain to watch the battle and pray. With the assistance of Aaron and Hur Moses prayed throughout the battle and the Israelites prevailed over the powerful enemy. When the battle was over Moses erected an altar and named it “The Lord is my Banner”.

What banner do we have from God? We have the banner of His Name above us. We follow the most powerful Name in the universe. As we go forth to battle each day against spiritual powers, we go forth under the banner of the Name of the Lord. The victory was offered to the people as prayer was made to that great Name. God enjoins us to daily be in prayer to Him.

His banner over us is also the banner of love. In Song of Solomon 2:4 we find that “His banner over me is love”. What marvelous grace to be loved by the God of the universe. What marvelous peace to know that He who can do all things loves us. What marvelous hope that we are not alone in each event we face in life. The Lord our Banner of victory and love is always with us. We need to simply look to Him in prayer. We need to simply call upon Him for He gladly hears His children. He delights to extend over them the banner of His grace.

The Friday Benediction

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Thursday, May 7, 2015

Christ, The Sure Foundation

To celebrate our two year anniversary, and to give me a creative break, Abundant Grace will be reprinting some classic blog devotions from year one for the next month.

How important is a solid foundation? In Iowa the frost goes fairly deep. Without a solid foundation the house will shift when the frost comes out of the ground each spring. Over a period of years that can cause a lot of shifting leaving everything out of shape and the roof in near condition of collapse. In Iowa we need a sure foundation.

In Scripture Christ is frequently referred to in terms of being a foundation or corner stone of our faith and life. In I Cor. 3:11 Paul said, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Isaiah 28:16 gives this prophecy about the coming foundation stone of God, “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.” The psalmist in Psalm 118:22 prophesied that “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” Peter quotes both Isaiah and Psalm 118 in I Peter 2.

An ancient hymn of the church, dating possibly as far back as the 600’s, extols Jesus Christ our sure foundation. This hymn, “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation” was translated in the 19^th century by John Neale. The first stanza of this hymn reads, “Christ is made the sure foundation, Christ the head and cornerstone; Chosen of the Lord, and precious, binding all the Church in one, Holy Zion’s help forever, and her confidence alone.” Samuel Stone wrote another hymn about Christ being the foundation, “The Church’s One Foundation.” His first stanza reads, “The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord, she is His new creation by water and the Word. From Heav’n He came and sought her to be His holy bride; With His own blood He bought her and for her life He died.”

These are just two of the great hymns of the faith that recognize Jesus by His gracious Name: the Foundation or the Cornerstone. This Name means much to the believer. It tells us of our security in Him. He is a foundation that cannot be moved, and all those who live in Him cannot be moved by the forces of the world either. We have an eternal house built that cannot fall down. When we go to sleep in Jesus we know that the house is still built and we are still secure in it. The forces of Satan may try to shake this house, but the foundation will keep it erect in every tremor of life. Praise God for this Foundation of Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Wednesday, May 6, 2015

The Life-Giving Breath of God

To celebrate our two year anniversary, and to give me a creative break, Abundant Grace will be reprinting some classic blog devotions from year one for the next month.

Our children, as well as everyone else’s children, have had their fair share of boo-boos while growing up. After kissing away the hurt I would blow on the “seriously” injured spot. It was like blowing away the pain. Somehow, in my children’s minds, that breath of Daddy was a help. The Breath of Abba still is.

Edwin Hatch is credited with writing only three hymns, but one of them is a timeless classic “Breathe on Me, Breath of God”. One of the names of the Holy Spirit is the Breath of God. If Daddy’s breath could restore a hurt knee or elbow, how restorative is the Breath of God?

Job said, “The Spirit of God hath made me and the Breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” Job 33:4 (KJV) That is pretty powerful breath. We see it earlier in the Scriptures in Genesis 2:7 where God breathed into man and he became a living soul. Again in Ezekiel 37 we find God breathing into the dry bones of Israel and restoring life to the dead nation. In the New Testament we find in II Timothy 3:16 that all scripture is inspired by God. Literally that means that all scripture is breathed by God or the Breath of God. That would be borne out by what Peter says in II Peter 1 where we find that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The Breath of God in the living Word of God then breathes new life into those who hear it. Paul said in Romans 10 that “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

All I can do with my feeble breath is blow away the pain of a boo-boo. What God can do is to transform the dead to life. The Holy Spirit of God brings us to life in Christ and fills us with power for living for Him. Hatch called for the Breath of God to give life, purity, obedience and eternal life. Carry these lines in your heart today. “Breathe on me, breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do. Breathe on me, breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with Thee I will one will, to do and to endure. Breathe on me, breath of God; blend all my soul with Thine, until this earthly part of me glows with Thy fire divine. Breathe on me, breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with Thee the perfect life of Thine eternity.”

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Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Praise God, He Changes Not

To celebrate our two year anniversary, and to give me a creative break, Abundant Grace will be reprinting some classic blog devotions from year one for the next month.

O Thou God Who Changest Not, Who our sinful soul has bought,

We find Thee our surest Friend, Who is with us to the end,

We find Thee our steadfast Guide, Whose light to us will never hide,

O Thou God always the same, Who Changest Not is Thy great Name,

Thee we praise with hearts of Joy, With praise to Thee our tongues employ.

(Sung to: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)

Everything seems to change. My beloved bride reminds me that isn’t so. The arrangement of our living room has not changed in 15 years she readily points out. So, almost everything changes. That is safe and true. There is something, however, that is more surely not going to change than the arrangement of our living room; that is God.

God employs the phrase, “For I am the LORD, I do not change” as an assurance to Malachi of both the goodness and severity of His promises. I have heard parents promise their ill behaved children, “One more time and you’re going to get it.” The child has figured out that “It” is another warning. God is reminding Israel that “it” is judgment for sin and blessing for obedience. He has never failed to keep either promise.

There is certainly something to be said for certainty. We live in an uncertain world. Promises made by employers to employees are kept as long as the employer wishes to keep them. Then they are abandoned. Warranties on products have lots of fine print. “But that is not covered and since that was the problem that led to the covered problem, well, then the covered problem is not covered either. Sorry.” Between forty and fifty per cent of first time marriages fail. “Til death do us part” is not a guarantee that couples will make it to their 5^th anniversary let alone death. That is the way things are in the world.

Things are not that way with God. God stands by His word. Every promise He made He will keep. He is the God Who Changest Not. Paul told Titus to remind the people in His church that God cannot lie. The author of Hebrews reminded his readers that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”. The psalmist declared, “Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven”. Those are things that change not. What has God promised us that we can depend on? That’s simple: everything that He has promised us. Praise God for His steadfastness. Praise Him that He is the God Who Changest Not.

Abundant Grace can be found at my website, www.davidccraig.net. You can subscribe to this daily devotion and receive it free M-F simply by choosing the Abundant Grace tab and signing up for regular delivery to your email account. You can also find Quality Christian Books on my website plus fundraising opportunities for your Christian organization or youth group.

Also check out our new options for publishing your Christian book.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Come to the Light, Then Let Your Light Shine

To celebrate our two year anniversary, and to give me a creative break, Abundant Grace will be reprinting some classic blog devotions from year one for the next month.

When my wife and I were first married we lived in a tent for our first summer. It was a sturdy tent with a good double cover that kept out bad weather but was also very good at keeping out light. Even in the daytime it was very dim in our tent and by sundown we could only hear each other. Ever since then my beloved bride has insisted on there being a nightlight in at least the room nearest to us and an open door between.

Darkness can be very oppressive. Light is good. Light is one of the names for Jesus. He said of Himself, “I am the Light of the world.” Light means we can see where we are going. Light means we can see our surroundings clearly. Light reduces our chance of getting hurt. Light helps the wonderful world around us grow and produce beautiful and beneficial things.

Jesus said, however, that men love darkness because their deeds are evil. Mother’s admonition that nothing good happens after midnight is a valid and biblical truth. To curb crime streetlights are put up. Darkness is also metaphorical for times of distress and sadness. Jesus is the sunlight to penetrate the gloom of our lives. Jesus is that great Light that lightens the whole world and gives us the opportunity to move from desperation to hope, from sorrow to joy and from the bondage to sin to salvation and freedom.

Not everyone we meet will want the light. Many will actually prefer to stay in the darkness and work their iniquity. We can truly see that the modern American culture has become as pagan as anything ancient Rome, Greece or Canaan could desire. But into that darkness Jesus came and called His own out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. We need to live in that light. We need to truly appreciate what that light means to us in a dark and unchristian world. We need to truly radiate that light so that others might see its goodness and that in seeing the light they might come to it as well.

Philip Bliss wrote the hymn “The Light of the World is Jesus”. He says in this hymn to the believer, “No darkness have we who in Jesus abide. We walk in the Light when we follow our Guide.” What a blessing that is for the believer. What a joy to be delivered from the darkness we see all around us each day. Therefore Bliss shouts out the invitation, “Come to the Light, ‘tis shining for thee! Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me. Once I was blind, but now I can see – the Light of the world is Jesus.” Let us so rejoice in the Light and walk in the Light that others might find our Savior – The Light of the World.

Abundant Grace can be found at my website, www.davidccraig.net. You can subscribe to this daily devotion and receive it free M-F simply by choosing the Abundant Grace tab and signing up for regular delivery to your email account. You can also find Quality Christian Books on my website plus fundraising opportunities for your Christian organization or youth group.

Also check out our new options for publishing your Christian book.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Who is Truth? What is True?

To celebrate our two year anniversary, and to give me a creative break, Abundant Grace will be reprinting some classic blog devotions from year one for the next month.

What is truth? Many today say that there is no truth. There is only what is true for someone, but not true for everyone. Truth, we are told, is relative. As a person trained as a teacher through our state’s required teacher education program, I was taught that we cannot tell our students that there is absolute truth. Truth is relative. All sins in the right context are justifiable. All religions are equally true to their adherents. All truth can be decided by the individual and not the community. Is that true?

One of the great names for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. Jesus repeatedly calls Him that in John 14-16. Jesus goes on in that passage to make several bold statements about truth that would challenge our contemporary view of truth. First Jesus said that He was THE TRUTH. That’s right, THE TRUTH. The word the means there is no other truth, there is only one and He is it. Then Jesus says that He will ask the Father who will send THE Spirit of TRUTH. There will be but ONE Spirit of truth. That ONE Spirit of TRUTH will guide those who believe in THE TRUTH, Jesus Christ, into ALL TRUTH. That is a lot of truth for a world that doesn’t believe in truth. Why don’t they believe in truth? They don’t believe in Jesus.

This means that in a world where there is great confusion, in a world that has lost its compass direction of absolutes, in a world that is constantly seeking the truth they cannot find because they don’t believe it exists; in that world there is TRUTH. There is one who will teach us the truth. That one is the Holy Spirit of God. He will teach us the truth through the next thing in John that Jesus says is true, the Word of God. Jesus said most clearly, “Thy Word is Truth”. The Holy Spirit, the author the Word of God will teach the truth of the Word of God to all who will follow the Truth, the Son of God Jesus Christ.

Do you need a Name you can count on? Do you need someone that you can absolutely trust? That is the Holy Spirit of Truth who will lead you into all truth. Reginald Heber wrote a hymn “Spirit of Truth, on This Thy Day”. Heber called upon the Spirit for the simple course of guidance in life. “Spirit of truth, on this Thy day to Thee for help we cry, to guide us through the dreary way of dark mortality.” We need the guidance of truth every day of our lives. Let us look to the One who has been given the name, Spirit of Truth, to guide us as Jesus promised. Let Him teach us that wholly true word of God and make our lives count for the TRUTH that shall forever endure.

The Friday Benediction

Abundant Grace can be found at my website, www.davidccraig.net. You can subscribe to this daily devotion and receive it free M-F simply by choosing the Abundant Grace tab and signing up for regular delivery to your email account. You can also find Quality Christian Books on my website plus fundraising opportunities for your Christian organization or youth group.

Also check out our new options for publishing your Christian book.