embrace, embrace, embracing

Wednesday, June 10, 2020 (6:23 a.m.)

Holy God,

I’m feeling embarrassed this morning. How’s that?

And just like that I am reading about being embraced. Thank You Father. Thank You for the ways You change our thinking. And our focus.

I am asking You to embrace me this morning Lord. Embrace me that I will fully embrace You, Your will and Your way.

Mm, yes Father. I know You to be good. How encouraging is Your Word. Filled with reminders of others who have embraced Your Truth through the years.

Starting my reading this morning in Genesis (48:10) with Joseph bringing his sons to his father Israel who kissed and embraced them. Continuing to the end of the book I read Joseph’s words to his brothers.

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). We may never know the full extent of Your plans for us, but we can trust and embrace them to be good (Jeremiah 29:11).

Blessed Father God, I get to follow this vein into Deuteronomy. “I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love GOD, your God, listening obediently to Him, firmly embracing Him. Oh yes, He is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that GOD, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (30:19-20, The Message).

And now to the apostle Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. We have all sinned and fallen short of Your glory (Romans 3:23). After quoting the first part of one of David’s psalms (32:1, 2) Paul went on to affirm, “We all agree, don’t we, that it was by embracing what God did for him that Abraham was declared fit before God?” (Romans 4:9).

Paul goes on to say, “This is why the fulfillment of God’s promise depends entirely on trusting God and His way, and then simply embracing Him and what He does (4:16a). As I become more fully aware of each smile that crosses my face again I thank You Lord.

As I read through chapter 8 I am reminded that we are More Than Conquerors (vs. 28-39). You ‘didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing Yourself to the worst by sending Your own Son’ (32) on our behalf.

Oh and look at this. Chapter 10. Moses having written of trying to follow the fine print of the law code. Comparing that with “trusting God to shape the right living in us” (6a). And ultimately saying, “the welcoming word to God - ‘Jesus is my Master’ - embracing, body and soul… simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it… With your whole being embrace God setting things right. And then say it, right out loud: ‘God has set everything right between Him and me!’” (4-10).

And finally, the call to place our life before You (chapter 12). “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture than you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you” (12:1-2).

Yes please Father. Align my will to Yours.

Thank You for the privilege of confessing embarrassment and being embraced by the Truth of Your Word. Use me as You know is best. I love You. Amen.

(680 words ~ 8:17 a.m.)