July #jammed: Grace serves.

186: Don’t shove it down.

“But it didn’t take long for them to forget what He had done.” Psalm 106:13

Today’s verse is part of a Psalm written during Israel’s exile. Over and over …from the pillar of cloud that guided them during the day, the fire that guided them at night, and the food that fell from the sky to feed them …God provided for His people as promised. Yet, over and over again, they would surpass God’s will for their own gut instincts …which were terrible.

It’s easy to write them off as the ridiculous, until we look in the mirror.

I’ve come to terms with the mess and the smell that dinner in the car leaves behind in exchange for the time that it saves us.

“Lauren, are you almost done?” I checked in half-way through the drive.

“Yep!” she triumphantly announced.

“Let me see,” I demanded, as I peeked back in the rear-view mirror to see a few green beans left.

“Finish your beans,” I told her, and drove along.

As I peered over my shoulder while backing into a parking spot, my compliant little child was shoving her green beans into seatbelt hole. The hole that is too tiny to reach anything that drops through it.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

She was as startled to be busted as I was that she was shoving beans down the cracks of our fairly brand new car. I assure you, her little arm pulled every one of those beans back up, and compliantly finished her dinner.

What was she thinking?

Isn’t that what God must have thought of the Israelites …what He must think of us, sometimes? Yet, knowing us completely, sent His Son to die for all of our ridiculousness. All of it, all of the time.

Believing in Jesus allows us to pull the beans back out when we’re caught red handed, and have another chance to compliantly eat our dinner. Grace is another chance …at life.

Father, Praise You for Your patience. Thank You for Jesus. We confess that we often take the long way around Your way, and pray that You help us stay on course by following Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace! 

#greatgrace17

Happy Beans,

Megs

Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.