"However, the Holy Spirit wished to tell us that, if we wish to render glory to God and to bless his name properly, we must be persuaded that God does nothing without reason. So then, let us not attribute to him either cruelty or ignorance, as if he did things in spite and unadvisedly, but let us acknowledge that he proceeds in everything with admirable justice, with goodness and infinite wisdom, so that there is only entire uprightness or equity in all that he does (emphasis mine)."
Calvin, John. Sermons from Job. Selected and translated by Leroy Nixon: Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1952:29-30.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
autumn pictures
Autumn. So incredibly beautiful!
I wanted to post pictures of our family hike today in Mount Nemo, but they are stuck on my sister's camera! :) Maybe by next weekend....
These photos were taken Oct. 11/08 by the Grand River in Arthur, ON (up past Guelph).
Sunday, October 05, 2008
FREE
Wild flowers are beautiful!
Years ago, my friend Mandy and I wanted to share their beauty with others. We tromped through the fields near my country home and selected the most vibrant and sturdy looking flowers. Back in the front yard, we carefully arranged them into bouquets and tied them together with string. After gently placing them in a pail of cool water, we crafted a large sign: "FREE FLOWERS."
Cheerfully, we waited by the side of the road, excited to share our wealth with passersby. Yet car after car raced by and barely took notice of our sign. A few slowed but continued on once they saw the purpose of our endeavour. Only one car slowed and actually accepted a bouquet.
To my young mind, this was quite puzzling. Here were beautifully arranged, fresh flowers and they were FREE, yet people did not want them.
What I did not comprehend in my youth was that the flowers weren't actually free. They cost people the time to stop. They cost people the possibility of having to chat with two enthusiastic young girls. And they cost people the "burden" of having a bunch of "weed" wild flowers in their car.
God's gift of grace is absolutely free. We can not earn it or buy it or ever deserve yet.
Yet many people often turn and run from God's loving grace.
They run because they see that this grace, while free, is costly.
It is not a cheap grace; it cost Jesus dearly!
And it "costs" Christians too. It costs them sacrifice, obedience, renouncing of the flesh, and many other things.
But unlike some fading wildflowers, this grace is not something that we want to pass up.
And it is not something that we want others to pass up either.
This precious, blood-bought, redeeming grace....
Years ago, my friend Mandy and I wanted to share their beauty with others. We tromped through the fields near my country home and selected the most vibrant and sturdy looking flowers. Back in the front yard, we carefully arranged them into bouquets and tied them together with string. After gently placing them in a pail of cool water, we crafted a large sign: "FREE FLOWERS."
Cheerfully, we waited by the side of the road, excited to share our wealth with passersby. Yet car after car raced by and barely took notice of our sign. A few slowed but continued on once they saw the purpose of our endeavour. Only one car slowed and actually accepted a bouquet.
To my young mind, this was quite puzzling. Here were beautifully arranged, fresh flowers and they were FREE, yet people did not want them.
What I did not comprehend in my youth was that the flowers weren't actually free. They cost people the time to stop. They cost people the possibility of having to chat with two enthusiastic young girls. And they cost people the "burden" of having a bunch of "weed" wild flowers in their car.
God's gift of grace is absolutely free. We can not earn it or buy it or ever deserve yet.
Yet many people often turn and run from God's loving grace.
They run because they see that this grace, while free, is costly.
It is not a cheap grace; it cost Jesus dearly!
And it "costs" Christians too. It costs them sacrifice, obedience, renouncing of the flesh, and many other things.
But unlike some fading wildflowers, this grace is not something that we want to pass up.
And it is not something that we want others to pass up either.
This precious, blood-bought, redeeming grace....
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