Fields of Grace

During my walk, a song kept running through my head:  “Dancing with my Father God in fields of praise.” In my mind, I changed “praise” to “grace.” I heard these words in my head: “Dancing with my Father God in fields of grace.” My feet kept the rhythm as I walked and  contemplated those words. “Grace” quickly dominated my thoughts. My grandmother, Grace, lived graciously. My mother, also Grace, was a gracious hostess. My name, Nancy, means “full of grace,” my cousin named her daughter Grace, and my granddaughter is Emma Grace. Grace has become a family name.

The song, of course, refers to God’s grace. Only through His grace will we enter the kingdom of heaven. The idea of dancing in fields of grace is so joyous and freeing. Can you imagine dancing for joy in God’s presence?

As I walk, the words sink home. Isn’t the church our field of grace? The church is a family of people who’ve accepted God’s grace and extend it to others. Isn’t “grace” a family name for believers? Just as we’ve received God’s grace, let us all freely extend grace and dance together joyfully with our Father God.

I Timothy 1:14 “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

Filled and Overflowing

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

May your life overflow with God’s joy, peace, and hope as you trust in Him.

A Modern Psalm

A Modern Psalm

Oh God, my God, the world around me revolves in chaos.

Fear wraps around me, stealing my hope and contentment.

Worries about the future steal my trust in You.

Arguments abound, war decimates people and countries,

Hatred reigns supreme, shoving love

Into the deepest, darkest recesses of my heart.

But I find a quiet place in my soul,

I hear your voice, I let it permeate to my being.

You remind me: Your ways are higher than my ways.

You are my fortress and my hiding place in times of trouble.

You are in control, no matter how I may feel about the world around me.

You love me enough to send your precious son to redeem me.

You hold me in the palm of your hand and capture all my tears.

My soul soars, basking in Your love and protection.

I thank you and praise You, almighty God!

As The Deer Pants for Water

In summer the hot sun scorches the earth.  The brittle grass browns and breaks.  Moisture-starved leaves yellow and flutter to the ground.  The baked earth, cracked in every direction, cries for rain.  Insects buzz in erratic dances—nothing else moves.  The stifling heat rises in waves.

Safe in her thicket, the deer stirs.  Hot and parched, she must drink.  Gingerly, she ventures to the brook to quench her thirst.  Frequently, she pauses to sniff the air, sensing wolves and other predators lurking nearby, eager to taste her flesh.  They too must drink, so her danger heightens as she nears the life-giving water.  In spite of the danger, her extreme thirst drives her to the stream, for she pants for water.  She must drink.

On a hot summer’s day, we guzzle glass after glass of cold, refreshing water, attempting to slake our thirst. If our souls truly pant for God the way the deer pants for water, what would we do? Like the deer, will you risk all for life-giving water? What steps are you taking to slake your spiritual thirst?

Psalms 42:1&2 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

O God, give me a thirst for you.  Make my spiritual thirst strong, so I must satisfy it. Give me the discipline to drink deeply at your never-ending spiritual stream.