Day 3

Read Hebrews 12:5-11

When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He cried out to God “ABBA,” which is better translated in English as, Daddy. God is no longer looked at as a distant king on a throne, or a God that cannot be seen. No, God is our Daddy! This denotes intimacy and love. This is the image that the writer of Hebrews is trying to convey when he talks about the discipline God, or Daddy, gives to us. In our scripture reading, the writer reinforces our relationship as sons and daughters as a way of understanding how we ought to respond to this discipline. Our Daddy loves us! And He corrects us (disciplines) us because He loves us. Behind this love is the reality that God is all powerful and all knowing. These two truths are behind what the discipline God gives to us. It is wonderful knowing that we are disciplined by this kind of Dad. Know that our Daddy is perfect! He loves us perfectly, and yes…He disciplines us perfectly.

If this is the way God disciplines you, how should this change the way you respond to his discipline? 

Day 2

Read Ephesians 2: 8-10

Let’s work backward through this passage: God created us and gifted us to do good works, but God’s saving grace and purposes come alive in our lives not on our own merits, but by HIS grace demonstrated THROUGH JESUS WHEN we believe Jesus’ atonement, know we needed and daily God’s forgiveness, repent, and receive God’s lavish gift of grace. Grace – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense – means Jesus took the punishment I deserved, and you deserved, and freely gave me and you right relationship with our Creator Heavenly Father WHEN you and I admit we’ve blown it and desperately need the complete forgiveness only the sacrifice of Jesus purchased for us. Jesus’ death on the Cross was and will always be the greatest, undeserved, grace-lavished upon us gift we could ever receive. Salvation’s gift is purposeful leading us to become and live who God created us to be.

Seeing God’s loving grace freely offered to you, with only your repentance and glad believing required, what will you choose to believe, receive, and live out of today?

Tell God: Thank you, lavishly loving Father God, for ALL you longingly desire to give me. Listen for God’s reply.