5-31-2019

          Good Morning All,

         Titus 3:5; “he saved us, but not because of anything we had done to gain his approval. Instead, because of his mercy he saved us through the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and renewal”

    Have you ever come into your house after a few hours of being outside in the heat?  Maybe you were weeding your garden or mowing the lawn on one of those hot sticky days.  Maybe you were doing those exercises that the doctor wants you to do; maybe your job requires you to be outdoors.  Even after a short time outdoors, everything sticks to your body; your clothes, the dirt, the dead grass, the bugs, everything just sticks to you.  As everything sticks to you, you are aware of how uncomfortable you are; you are hot, tired, sore and in need of some relief.

    If you are like me, you head straight for the shower.  There is nothing like a nice cool shower on a hot day to wash away some of the grime and to cool me off.  As you drag yourself into the shower, you can feel the heat just wash away and the grime seems to melt right off.  You begin to feel that “squeaky” clean sensation.  You begin to feel refreshed.

    This is how God’s grace works in our life.  We spend the day out in the hot sun and in the dusty grime of life.  The devil continually spews his venomous attacks.  The heat of this life is used by the devil to attack us, to make us uncomfortable, to attack the peace and contentment that God gives us.  The devil takes advantage of every heat wave to try and cause us discomfort.  He takes each setback or struggle and tries to turn up the heat.  He takes life and tries to cause us discomfort. 

    He then throws in the grime of doubt and despair to make our discomfort even greater.  It wears us down; it takes the energy out of us.  We are tired, hot, weary and beaten down.  It might be a job setback or a health setback or a relationship problem or any of a number of other events that cause us pain and sadness. 

     Yet God comes to us with his kindness flowing over us like a refreshing shower or a dip in a cool pool of water.  It cleanses us and refreshes us.  It gives us hope.  It overflows in our lives and in our souls.  God gives to us the certainty of tomorrow.  We never have to worry about tomorrow because God will take care of it.  We only need to trust in him for his mercy.  We only need to be refreshed by his wondrous overflowing river of grace. 

    As this grace overflows us, it pours out into the loves of those around us.  It flows out to those whom we meet who are hot and grimy; who are tired and in need of rest.  God uses you and he uses me to bring this life restoring water to those around us who are in need.  God pours out his mercy to the people around us through us.  He doesn’t have to but this is the way that he chooses to do it.  God pours out his river of grace through people, like you and me, who make up his Church.  So that thanksgiving may come from many to the glory of God.

Dearest Father, your mercies run over us like a flowing river and we are blessed by you through this loving gift.  Wash away our dirt and our grime and give us your peace.  Be with those who are especially in need of your mercy, in need of your overflowing kindness.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’ Peace,

Pastor Bret