Facet of Christ (Day 56)
We can never outrun his love, any more than we can outrun our shadow. No matter how fast Wily Coyote ran, the Roadrunner just ran faster. “Goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life” (Ps 23). Jesus is that goodness and mercy. Dane Ortlund The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you
Facet of Christ (Day 55)
We cannot get underneath his mercy. We can dig and dig and dig with our shovel of sin. But no matter how deep we go, we never hit rock bottom on his mercy. (1 Pet. 2.10) Dane Ortlund 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:10)
Meditation for Preparation – July 28th
Motives Read: Luke 11:37-54 37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb,
Facet of Christ (Day 54)
He lost every earthly friend he had while he lived, so that we can have in him whatever earthly friends we lose. (1 Thess. 4.17) Dane Ortlund 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thes. 4:17)
Facet of Christ (Day 53)
He knows what it is to be alone, thirsty, hungry, hated, rejected, taunted, shamed, abandoned, stabbed, tortured, killed. Your pain is not lost on him. (Heb. 2.18) Dane Ortlund 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)
Facet of Christ (Day 52)
He not only cherishes you, he nourishes you (Eph 5:29). He is feeding life into you by the Spirit moment by moment, sustaining you, preserving you, protecting you. Dane Ortlund 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, (Eph. 5:29)
Facet of Christ (Day 51)
His family thought he was nuts (Mark 3:21). Maybe your family thinks you are too. He doesn’t. He cherishes you (Eph 5:29). Dane Ortlund 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” (Mark 3:21) 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, (Eph. 5:29)
Facet of Christ (Day 50)
He didn’t come to give a pep talk. He’s not a coach. He came to do, in our place, what every pep talk is trying to get us impossibly unmotivated people to do. (Phil. 4.13) Dane Ortlund 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)
Facet of Christ (Day 49)
Speaking of his blood—he let it all out, while suffocating to death, naked, on a Roman cross, when I was the criminal deserving it. That sure was nice of him. (1 John 1.7) Dane Ortlund 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
Facet of Christ (Day 48)
Taking on our humanity meant taking on all our human limitations. He has a specific fingerprint. A certain blood-type. (John 19.28) Dane Ortlund 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” (John 19:28)
