Ten Reasons to Celebrate Today
I am working at Mozart’s this morning. I have been praying and thinking about what it means to live with a sense of expectancy and dependency — to have “eyes to see” the activity of God around us, and faith to walk in it. So I am considering the gospel and rejoicing in its implications for this moment in my day. Ten causes for celebration:
- The air is cool (for Texas) on the deck. The lake and the hillside are beautiful. The day sings of the God who created the world for us to enjoy and cultivate. There is both delight and purpose in our work today (Genesis 1:28; 2:15; Ephesians 2:10).
- All around me people are sharing ideas and burdens, even praying together. Indeed, we are made in the image of the Triune God. We can know and be known, sharing our lives with family and friends (Genesis 1:26; 2:18).
- With the beauty of creation around me, the Bible open before me, and the presence of Christ in me, I am mindful that God has revealed himself to us in truth, giving us confidence and immovable hope even in the midst of confusing circumstances (Hebrews 1:1-3; 11:1-3).
- I am also mindful of my fear and pride and independence, but “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15).
- No, seriously: “Jesus died for the ungodly.” We could not earn His love in the first place, and do not have to earn it today. We really do have peace with God (Romans 5:6-11).
- I can be honest with God and others without fear of condemnation, because God is “faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:5-9).
- Even as I write this, all the things that must be done distract me, and all the things I cannot do worry me. So I celebrate that Jesus is holding everything together today. I can rest even though I am not in control – especially because I am not in control (Colossians 1:17).
- I want to spend time with God today, but my attention span is weak and I am not even sure what to pray about. So I rejoice that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words … according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).
- The Spirit of God is relentlessly at work to make me the kind of person I want to be, but cannot become in my own strength (Romans 8:3-4; Galatians 5: 22-23).
- As much as I enjoy the scenery and coffee and work of this moment, it is only a sign that points to the one eternal day that awaits us in the presence of “the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23-24; Psalm 84:10).
Will Walker
September 23, 2011 at 12:52 pm11. Jesus is the head of the church, his body. Nothing can prevail against it (Ephesians 4:15-16; Colossians 1:18; Matthew 16:18)!
Beverly Thomson
September 24, 2011 at 5:37 pmThanks Will. This was great & I identify with so much of this as, that same morning, I too was enjoying fellowship time with the Lord in the beautiful “fallish” air on my deck! I didn’t have the beautiful view of Lake Austin but as I sat looking up through all the sun-tipped oak trees, being serenaded by the birds, it was such a perfect setting to meet with God! As I read my “daily page” from My Utmost For His Highest it was about “The Missionary’s Goal” (servants of God), and how our goal in life as Christians remains the same from the beginning to the end – “we start with Christ and we end with Him – until we attain to the stature of the manhood of Christ Jesus”, not to our idea of of what the Christian life should be. I love this! And he goes on to say that the missionary’s aim is to do God’s will, not to be useful, not to win the heathen (though we will do these things). Our aim & purpose is solely to do the will of God! So rather than worry about all the ways I fall short, feel inadequate or fail God in so many areas of my life, I love being reminded again to just seek His will and follow Him one day at a time and see where He leads me! I particularly resonated with your point #3, and, yes, sitting & soaking up the beauty around me reminded me as well of how amazing heaven will be when we get there and are in His presence!!! Thanks for sharing! Bev