February #jammed: Dunked in Grace
Day 37: Family is Family as Grace is Grace.
“This is the blood of the covenant God has established with you.” Hebrews 9:18-22 (MSG)
Blood related or not, there’s no denying the feeling that some people feel like God-intended family.
“Just as we do not get to choose our biological brothers and sisters, we do not get to choose our spiritual brothers and sisters either…How we treat the people around us on a daily basis is the real test of our love for God” (VOICE 1John5:6)
Today’s verse mentions blood, as so many Biblical passages do. In sacrifice and conquering of the Old Testament to sweet Jesus on the cross in the New, blood is symbolic of our plight, or God wouldn’t have shed so much of His creation’s lot of it.
Our inheritance in Christ in inhibited, not only by the sinful nature of our human selves, but also by the guilt born of those sins. That’s why blocking or avoiding friends and family feels so awful. We know innately that those people are attached to our person for a reason, and it feels awful when we write them off as if we’re in control of who’s placed where.
Thank God for Jesus, who’s sacrifice lends us unending forgiveness for the will we do not have to face those we cannot forgive under our own will power. My extended family grew this year, and though I have known these people but minutes in comparison to life’s duration I feel their presence in my heart has always been there. We said goodbye to dear friends who we knew briefly but know we will carry in our hearts forever.
The ‘hello’s’ and ‘good-bye’s of life rest in the perfect hands of God.
We are all His children. We all need each other. Who can trace the many lives that one life touches? Who can orchestrate that? Only the wave washing over us …Jesus, our Savior.
Father, Praise You for people! Thank You, that through every life there is something to be learned and loved. We confess our squabbles, misunderstandings, and beafs, and pray that through the grace of Jesus’ death on the cross You free our souls from the guilt that drags us down with our sin. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Who are you closest with in this life? Are they friend or blood related family? Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Family-ing,
Megs
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I’m closest to my husband and am so glad I’m getting closer to my sister. <3
That’s wonderful, Carolina! Maybe strange, but the people I feel closest with are my daughters. They don’t know it, but they are my little rocks. Happy Monday, friend!
“Happy Family-ing.” — That’s cute, Meg. I like that. 🙂 I’m thankful for family that isn’t blood related, because my biological family isn’t my “family.” Not in the sense of belonging-ness. So glad God weaves together a household of faith that knows no boundaries. 🙂 Thanks for sharing! ((grace))
Amen, Brenda! No matter who He’s surrounded us with, we have to make sure His voice is the one we hear the loudest. Happy Monday!!