Hope

There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.
- Orison Swett Marden

God's Grace

Some quotes from Our Daily Bread: "No matter how much we have personally lost because of sin, we have gained far more through the resurrection victory of Christ." "More gained than lost? Can it be true? Each day we experience the damage caused by sin entering our world. Greed, injustice, and cruelty all trace their origins back to Adam and Eve's decision to follow their own path rather than God's." And we can add to that disease and death. "But Jesus overpowered sin through the cross and conquered death through His resurrection. In every case, grace overpowers the consequences of sin."

Is that Good News or what?

And a quote from Henri Nouwen's book - The Road to Daybreak reminding us of God's perspective: "I am your God...I see all your actions. And I love you because you are beautiful, made in my image....Do not judge yourself. Do not condemn yourself. Do not reject yourself....Come. come, let me wipe your tears, and let my mouth say....I love you, I love you, I love you."

The Heart is Deceitful

"The heart is deceitful and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9 Do we really believe this or do we think that with a little bit of tweaking we can clean up our act and make ourselves presentable to God? Do we just have a little seedy side that needs a bit of help? I have been thinking about this a lot this week. It is so easy to tell little lies out of fear, trying to protect ourselves and maybe make ourselves look a bit better. Or is our only hope to come before God to be justified by faith in the work of the cross?

I have been reading a book by Marilyn Meberg: "The Zippered Heart- Healing for the Secrets We Hide Inside."

May we all have a blessed Easter, as we think about what it means to be justified.