Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Devotional 240210

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. Hope you had a good start this morning. A friend of mine visited me from NY. After having breakfast with him and sending him to airport, it was almost 10 am already. But it is always good to rekindle relationship with some good old friend. Life is too short on earth to care only about work. Relationship has eternal value than our accomplishment on earth. It is God’s grace that we are able to work and accomplish things on earth. But if it is in the expense of our relationship with God and family, I don’t think it is worthy.

I’m thanking you, GOD, from a full heart, I’m writing the book on your wonders! (Psalm 9:1). ‘Charis always demands the answer eucharistia (that is, grace always demands the answer of gratitude). Grace and gratitude belong together like heaven and earth. Grace evokes gratitude like the voice m echo. Gratitude follows grace as thunder follows lightning” [Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics]. God is personal reality to be enjoyed. We ire so created and so redeemed that we are capable of enjoying him. All the movements of discipleship arrive at a place where joy is experienced. Every step of assent toward God develops the capacity to enjoy Not only is there, increasingly, more to be enjoyed, there is steadily the acquired ability to enjoy it.

Best of all, we don’t have to wait until we get to the end of the road before we enjoy what is at the end of the road. So, “Come, bless the LORD . . . The LORD bless you!

I named my daughter Cara which should be spelled chara = a joy came from charis (grace). It is God’s grace that we live today. Our joy and peace ultimately came from His charis for us. Therefore, we should give thanks to Him at all time. Without His grace, we ceased to exist; this is our Christian theology. Rain and sunshine are His common charis/grace for mankind. Even though mankind does not give thanks to Him nor recognizes His existence, God’s common grace does not therefore cease to come upon them. But the more thankful we are to God’s grace, the more joyful we become as His creature/children. And we find new strength in living abundantly because the joy of the Lord is our strength. Amen?

Love you in His charis,
Lawrence

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