by Macy Johnson
“All this also comes from the Lord
Almighty,
wonderful in counsel and magnificent in
wisdom.”
(Isaiah 28:29 NIV)
My laptop
computer’s spacebar was sticking. No matter how slow or fast I typed, the words
jammed together and created a visual mess. As a pianist, I know when one of my
fingers does not cooperate, so I realized my hands were not the problem. A
sticking piano key is one problem, but this scenario created a uniquely
stressful frustration for a writer.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
be with your spirit.”
(Philemon 25 NIV)
I like to think of grace as “unmerited favor.” When birds flock to the feeder on my balcony and remind me of their Creator, I am filled with grace. Their tiny, fragile bodies are kept alive by God and sent to me as a graceful reminder of His power and presence. His meticulous order of the natural realm is a gracious gift to me, a keeper of His kingdom. I will honor His graceful gifts. I hope you will, too!
“He cuts off every branch in me that
bears no fruit,
while every branch that does bear fruit
He prunes
so that it will be even more fruitful.”
(John 15:2 NIV)
Ouch! God never promised His pruning would be painless. I watch as He cuts off the dead wood and disease branches of my heart. I cringe as He yanks away the vines of selfish desires out of my mind. I feel new life flowing through my veins to give nourishing fruit to my thoughts. I will humbly submit to His pruning. I hope you will, too!
“You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.”
(Isaiah 26:3 NIV)
Try as I might, I cannot make peace or keep it. Perfect peace comes only from my heavenly Father. I might not be able to make sense of all that is going on around me, but He can. Nothing can touch me apart from His perfect will and loving hand. I can breathe and accept His will in what may come today, because my mind is steadfast. I will be an instrument of His peace. I hope you will, too!
“Your attitude should be the same
as that of Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 2:5 NIV)
Attitude or Altitude? The words are similar, but oh, so different. AI defines attitude as a learned, stable predisposition to evaluate a person, object, or concept in a specific way. Attitude is learned and practiced over a lifetime. I can recall times when my attitude was bad, not at all like that of Jesus. Altitude is the vertical distance of an object upward. I will direct my altitude and attitude to be like Jesus. I hope you will, too!
“He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.”
(Psalm 23:3 NIV)
What does a “path of righteousness” look like? I picture it to be a grassy path, not well-worn, weaving in and out of trees in a tropical rainforest. I must stay close to my Guide as He leads me, for danger lurks behind the trees and bushes at every turn. The indigenous peoples of the forest do not like intruders, especially ones who carry the Light of Truth. I will stay close to Jesus. I hope you will, too!
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself
give you peace at all times and in
every way.
The Lord be with all of you.”
(2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV)
Shalom, a Hebrew word, means to be complete, whole, or sound. It can only be found in a right relationship with God. I am connected to the Father through Jesus. To have Christ is to have Shalom. I will stay close to Him, so the Holy Spirit will pour His perfect peace into me, and spill it over to those around me. I hope you will, too!
