Then the father said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'" (Luke 15:31-32)
God’s blessing is ours as a gift of grace. Yet too often we feel too busy or unworthy to enjoy it.
So come whether you feel lost or found, prodigal or faithful today. Pause, abide, and refresh in the way to blessing.
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:6-8
A comfy surprise from my grandma who generally was too old-fashioned to wear sweatpants out and about herself, I wore her gift of fuzzy sweatpants daily. For years as a second skin, they fetchingly functioned as pajamas, snowy seminary intramurals uniforms, and just about everything else I could sartorially justify. Eventually worn to threadbare semi-indecency, I forgot them one day at my sister’s, and figured she threw them out. Yet I was surprised the next Christmas to unwrap today’s Bible passage, one of my favorites, lovingly stitched by her onto a remnant to save.
I think God wants us to embody Micah’s call in our everyday lives as comfortably as if wearing around pairs of our favorite lowly sweatpants. God doesn’t want some fancy-pants offering but an everyday choice to live in grace instead. Transformed by this blessing, we then invite others into grace.
So how might you today clothe yourself in God’s blessing of doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God? What would it feel like? How might it change you?
Molly Logan
God of justice, as your beloved and blessed, clothe me with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Help me to forgive others as you have forgiven me. Embrace me in your love and let your peace rule in my heart today and every day. Amen.
We’re blessed to be a blessing.
Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)