People are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. (Romans 4:5)
Read: 1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11, Romans 4:1-12, Psalm 13:1-6, Proverbs 19:15-16
Relate: My mom lives out in the country, but she is not really built for country living. Don’t get me wrong, she loves it where she is, but she doesn’t really take advantage of the outdoors like she could and almost all of the seven acres she owns lie fallow. She owns about a half acre of beautiful, well trimmed lawn and another 6.5 acres of overgrown forest.
Now, I am even more of a city boy. I couldn’t tell the difference between an oak from an elm, a… well, I am trying to think of the names of flowers and weeds to compare, but I just don’t know any to throw in. You get the picture anyways. I am not just a city boy, I am practically proud of my horticultural ignorance, even when such ignorance gets me in trouble.
So anyways, because of some visa issues I have been spending a lot more time than I would like back in the States. While I have been bouncing between staying with a few different people, a good chunk of my time has been up at mom’s house. I figured if I am going to be here for who knows how long then I needed do something to “earn my keep” and set about clearing out some of that overgrown brush so that much more of her property can be seen and enjoyed. I am sure that some of you at this point know exactly where this story is going. A couple days after venturing into the backyard to work, a few spots started appearing on my hands. Within twenty-four hours those spots spread to where everything from my elbows to my fingertips as well as my cheeks and neck was covered in poison ivy rash. I have had minor cases of the stuff before but never anything even beginning to compare with this.
React: For the next three days I could barely bend my fingers. It hurt to do even the simplest of things like buckle my belt and grip my fork as it brought food from plate to mouth. I spent a good three days doing nothing but sitting on a chair binge watching a couple seasons of Star Trek DS9 and focusing with a supreme act of will on not… touching… anything. The urge to scratch was as great a temptation and my not once doing so through those first three days was one of my greatest life accomplishments. (jk) Eventually, the worst was over but it took a good week more to completely disappear and another week after that for all the dead skin to peel off. As I struggled through those first few days, one complaint I offered up at least once an hour went something like this: “Really, God? I try to do a little good. I try to help out, and this is my reward?”
How often do we try spiritually to do the same thing. I know that I don’t have to “do” anything to be part of God’s family. He welcomes me with open arms despite my failures, weaknesses, and ignorance. Sometimes it seems that I don’t have a spiritual green thumb either and my attempts at “doing good” are as fruitful as digging around in a huge patch of poison ivy. I know better but even still I act around God as though I need to “earn my keep”. God loves me and welcomes me with even more open arms than my mom does. She didn’t welcome me any less when I sat for days on a chair doing nothing but moan and watch TV and any more when I was working away in her yard trying to make things beautiful. In the same way I can never do anything good enough to ever make God love more and I can never act bad enough to make Him love me less. With Him it is all about grace. I couldn’t possibly “earn my keep” and there will never be a need.
Respond:
Dear God,
I can never thank You enough for being such a loving and caring Father. I know You love me. To the depths of my soul I know it and yet still there are times when I feel the overwhelming urge to do something to earn that love. Forgive me for the stupid paths such thinking tends to lead me down. Forgive me for the ignorance that tries to work off the salvation that has already been bought, paid for, and given with open arms. You are good, Father. Help me to be good because I want to be more like You rather than as a fruitless foolish attempt to earn Your love.
Amen
THE RIVER WALK 
Great illustration. And once exposed… you’re even more susceptible .
I live in the country just outside a very small town in the mountains of North Carolina. Though it seems like a rookie mistake, I don’t know anyone who lives in the country side that has not had the experience. Great analogy.
This got me thinking, about how we always make the mistake most times of thinking that somehow it is about us! When really, it is all about God! The truth is, we can never be even with God, no matter how hard we tried. He outweighs us times infinity! Thank you for this reminder!
Thank God for His grace.
A reminder we all seem to need from time to time.
Hope your next nature experience is more pleasant.
Blessings
Lynn
Well, it looks like you know what it looks like now. Experience is the best teacher. That’s the best thing about God. He knows exactly what experiences we need, not to look great and have huge self esteem, but to be saved in this world.
Also, just like we need some knowledge about the natural world (like identifying poison ivy!) in the natural world, we need information and ideas on the spiritual world. We need to be able to find and identify evil when we’re in the midst of it so that we are not so overtaken by it that we are immobilized for days. God is faithful! He left us His Word and He is with us every day to lead and guide. Thank you God!
Well said. We all need this truth reiterated from time to time. I think it may be one of the reasons we can read Paul’s prayer for the saints to “know” in Ephesians 3:14-21. To know even a bit of the magnitude of God’s great love is to (paraphrasing here) experience deep in our hearts the fullest peace and acceptance by God.
In awe of HIs Majesty I write this comment. He is restoring us all one by one to the original intent for our creation: to be loved by Him and to love HIm in return. O but how He is taking care of us like His babies.
He placed this post for me to see one of my baby brothers. You are a precious one! Much love, thiaBasilia. 🙂
I think God has blessed you simply for being a Star Trek fan. 😉
All kidding aside, He is a good Father to all of us and there is no amount of “work” we can do to earn his love because we already have it. I think it’s more important for all of us to walk in His son’s footsteps in regard to our own faith and love for others.
I like them both but Star Wars is far better than Star Trek. It was a fun trip down memory lane watching them, though.
Hi Bj, was trying to get a mental picture of you with the blisters but decided that my motives weren’t all that honourable so I backed off. You are a prince. Love your honesty. We have a picture on our kitchen wall with John 15:5 on it that reads ” I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” I need to be reminded of this daily. “nothing” is pretty explicit. What we do for Jesus, He actually does through us. It’s not us, it’s Him. For me, that means that “everything” goes through Him first. That’s not easy to do and with very little effort we can run along our merry little way doing something for Him, hoping that He is catching up to us, if in fact we are even mindful of the necessity of abiding in Him. “I need thee every hour, every minute …” takes on a whole new meaning. But enjoy your respite BJ and take solace that you are in the company of multitudes of us. Blessings!
The respite is getting a bit too long. I have a church back in Antep I need to be returning to, but it is His timing. Thank you.
I just discovered your blog.Now,this may seem cheesy what im about to say but I think you offer a great analogy.Keep it up!:)
Thank you
All your devotionals are worth reading and pondering. Thanks for sharing.