thoughts by John Grant Archives - Page 4 of 20

Published October 12, 2022

The Map of Life

“They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?” Exodus 14:11

Being the naturally organized person I am, I tend to be a planner, planning as much as I can as far ahead as I can and getting irritated with anything that gets in the way. So it was only natural recently when I was planning a trip that after getting my airline ticket on-line, I mapped out the ground plan.

I was flying into a major city airport at afternoon rush hour that was exactly on the opposite side of town from my hotel. Not wanting to take the time and expense of a cab ride, I checked the train schedule and found out I could get on at the airport and off near my hotel. I then got an on-line map from the train station to the hotel and found it to be less than a mile straight down a well traveled road and then three blocks on another street. I decided I could walk and get some evening exercise.

Initially, all went as planned….. off the plane onto the train and then off at the station. I walked past three perfectly good waiting cabs and proceeded down the road. It was dark by then, but the sidewalks were wide and the lighting good. Then, about a half mile into it, the sidewalks ceased, as did the lighting. It was then I realized I had to walk under an Interstate highway the banks of which were covered with heavy underbrush.

So, there I was, walking on the highway in the dark, wearing a dark suit, pulling my luggage and wondering how many pair of eyes were looking at me from the underbrush like sharks eying a mackerel. Would I get run over or mugged? At least I had voted before I left.

Then, the road forked and I went the wrong way. Finally, after walking a couple of miles in a circuitous route, I found my hotel and wondered if those cabs were still waiting at the train station. It looked so easy and short on the map.

When our children were small, we would use each trip as a geography lesson and show them our journey on a map. It looked so short. Maybe that’s why they would say about an hour into the trip “Daddy are we there yet?”

The map of life is like that. Our plans look so easy on paper, but walking out life’s journeys is quite another story. Look at the journey out of Egypt when the people asked Moses if he brought them into the desert to die.

The key is that we have a map and in order to do that, we have to have a specific destination. If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.

I’m amazed that so often when I think I know where I’m going God shows me I’m absolutely wrong. Certainly I do wander off of the path every once in a while, but God brings me back to that path again and again. He is faithful in doing this no matter how far I stray.

As long as God’s will is your destination, He will provide the map to get you there, so follow His map for your life and enjoy the journey.

by John Grant
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
Used by Permission

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He Leads and Guides Me

Published October 5, 2022

He Leads and Guides Me

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Psalm 23: 1-3

Recently, I received a call from a man inquiring about setting up a guardianship for his father, who could no longer mentally or physically care for himself. Suddenly, I had a mental picture of a blind man being led by a man who could see.

And then I had a spiritual picture of a shepherd leading his sheep… protecting them, guiding them and protecting them from all danger. Sheep are somewhat less than intelligent. Have you ever seen one in a circus act?

But sheep are smart in one respect. They faithfully follow their leader and they trust their leader. When their long wool gets saturated with water, they are unable to swim, so the shepherd finds them still waters from which to drink. Their mouth is tender and briars and other sharp vegetation will cut them, so the shepherd goes ahead and prepares a place (table) for them to eat which is free from the vegetation that would harm them.

The wilderness is a dangerous place for defenseless sheep. They can be at the peril of wild flesh eating beasts, but the sheep remain calm as long as they see the shepherd with his rod to fend away wild animals. Sometimes the path is steep and the cliffs fall off suddenly, but the sheep know that the shepherd has crooked staff to pull them back on the trail if they fall. They know they can face any enemy as long as the shepherd is there to defend them. They know he is with them.

It is easy to get lost in the Judean Wilderness, but the sheep can trust the shepherd to keep them on the right path. Sheep don’t see very well, but they have the eyes of the shepherd. Though they traverse some dark shadowy places they fear not because they are following their shepherd in whom they have complete trust.

By day, the shepherd tends his flock as a group, but each evening as they go into the fold, he treats them individually, one by one. He examines each and where necessary bathes their wounds of the day with soothing and healing oil. Sheep are dumb and defenseless and really have nothing, but yet their cup overflows with goodness and they lack for nothing.

Come to think about it sheep aren’t as dumb as most people think. They have figured out that all they need to do is to trust and follow the shepherd. It is sad that most of us seemingly intelligent humans haven’t figured out to do the same.
(a thought on life from John Grant )

by John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

Spiritual Distractions

“And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.” 1 Corinthians 7:35

Driver distraction has become epidemic, as drivers focus on calling, texting, selecting stations and the like. Maybe you are just engaged in deep conversation with someone else in the car or just looking at a beautiful sunset. Whatever the reason, driver distraction was cited as the cause in sixteen percent of all traffic fatalities last year, which killed more than five thousand people.

Webster’s Dictionary describes distraction as an act of separation or drawing apart and something that diverts attention. It is a process when our focus or attention is called in different ways.

In First Corinthians, Paul admonishes us “attend upon the Lord without distraction.”

Like focusing on our driving, Christians need to be spiritually focused.

And like driving where when we are distracted we can have an automobile wreck, when we are spiritually distracted, we are in danger of having a spiritual wreck.

The opposite of distraction is focus. We must focus to keep from being distracted. While it is inevitable that we will become distracted in life, it is most important that we remember to stay focused on God and His ways. I love to see people wearing the WWJD reminder wrist bands, because that identifies them as someone who approaches life’s decisions based on what would Jesus do. As Christians there are a number of ways to counter inevitable distraction. Be daily in His Word and pray when you wake up, as you pray when you lie down and at times in between. Steer clear of the areas and ways that lead us to distraction. It’s not always easy, but we can always have God’s help. He is but a prayer away.

First, recognize your distractions. What typically distracts you? Do you get caught in power struggles, control games, worrying, caretaking others, complaining, people pleasing, or solving problems that don’t yet exist? When you bring awareness to your common distractions they will have less power over you.

Second, focus on your higher purpose. As you go through your day, ask yourself what’s most important. Define your purpose for the day and stay focused on that. Let distractions move into the background from your higher purpose. In writing to the Philippians, Paul says to think about whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.

Put your time and energy into spending time with the Lord every day. Listen to and learn from Him. If you will do this, your life will produce incredible spiritual fruit. Don’t have a spiritual crash because you are spiritually distracted.

By John Grant
Used by Permission

Wonderfully Made

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139:14

Not long ago, I spent several days at more than thirteen thousand feet in the Andes Mountains. We had a wonderful time, but the price was altitude sickness. In the middle of the night, the sickness felt like my bed was a swinging hammock and when I got up, I could barely stand up and was totally out of balance.

They say that the best cure for altitude sickness is to go to a lower altitude and I did. It partially helped, but when it lingered after arriving home, I knew I needed professional help. So I went to see an otolaryngologist.

He explained to me that the ears control our balance and in each ear there are two gel sacks of tiny crystals, billions of them. The crystals (sometimes called ear rocks) in one sack control horizontal balance and the crystals in the other sack control vertical balance. Imbalance is caused by a mechanical problem in the inner ear. It occurs when some of the calcium carbonate crystals that are normally embedded in gel become dislodged and migrate into one or more of the 3 fluid-filled semicircular canals, where they are not supposed to be.
After learning so much about my ears, I drove home thinking how wonderfully we are made by God. Only a God of creation could design such a complex body.

Do you ever wake up, take a good look in the mirror, and tell yourself, “No doubt about it—I’m fearfully and wonderfully made!” Maybe when you think about the kind of person you are, words like “average” or “not bad” come to mind. Sometimes you might see yourself as above average, but there are days when a closer look reveals insecurities and flaws that you can’t ignore. If you ever consider yourself unremarkable or even ordinary, you’re not seeing yourself as a result of God’s divine creation. When we discover the truth that we are God’s unique design, it is overwhelming. In Genesis 1:27,

“God created man in his own image…male and female he created them.” We often mistakenly equate this with just physical appearance.

On a more practical level, God has fearfully and wonderfully made us, setting us apart as the brightest, clearest mirror of His creativity. While evolutionary biology considers us nothing more than glorified apes, scientific research confirms that humans are vastly unique on many levels.

We didn’t evolve from goo to the zoo, to you. We are a direct creation from the hand of God and we are wonderfully made. Never underestimate the power and creativity of the hand of God.

By John Grant
Used by Permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

The Light

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” – Matthew. 5:14

Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount along the shores of the Sea of Galilee in the shadow of the highest mountain in Israel on which is located the town of Safad. Because of its height, the lights of the city can be seen from miles away.

He used the city to drive home a point, saying: Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a lamp stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:15

Jesus proceeded here to show them that the very reason why they were enlightened was that others might also see the light, and be benefited by it. When people light a candle, they do not conceal the light, but place it where it may be of use. So it is with religion. Religion is given that we may benefit others. It is not to be concealed, but to show itself, and to shed light on a surrounding wicked world.

This passage sets forth instructions regarding the Christian’s light, or influence, in the world: (1) Christ forbade hiding it under a bushel, that is, permitting business and commerce to obscure one’s influence for the truth. (2) He warned against hiding it under a vessel, that is, permitting cares, duties, and obligations of life to take precedence over faith. (3) He prohibited hiding it under the bed of licentiousness, laziness, or idleness.

What then should be done with the light or influence of the Christian’s life? It should be placed upon “the stand.” And, what can this be? It is nothing less than the church of Jesus Christ, namely, the local congregation.

How bright does the light of Jesus burn in your life and in your congregation that others may see the light? The light of Jesus illumination from us is the essence of discipleship.

Do you let the duties of the day to take precedence over our sharing the light? Pray that the light of Jesus may shine brightly in your life so that others may see the essence of the Gospel.

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

Real Rest

“Find rest Oh my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.” Psalm 62:5

Are you like me, always trying to engineer the world, especially as it pertains to me? I worry and fret over things that may not even happen and magnify the significance of those that do.

Sometimes I have to sit back and scold myself for all the time and energy I waste worrying about such things. God is in control of both the major and minor events of my life.

He says, “Rest in Me, My child. Give your mind a break from planning and trying to anticipate what will happen. Pray continually, asking My Spirit to take charge of the details of this day. Remember that you are on a journey with Me. When you try to peer into the future and plan every possibility, you ignore your constant Companion who sustains you moment by moment. As you gaze anxiously into the distance, you don’t even feel the strong grip of My hand holding yours.”

How foolish we are when we try to get in His way and take over the running of our lives.

Remembrance of Him is a daily discipline and we should never lose sight of His constant and continual presence with us. We should rest in Him all day, every day.

As His love streams through us, it washes away fear and distrust. He should be in our thoughts as we consider strategies to deal any situation.

God gave us His Holy Spirit as a constant companion and councilor. He is always there and never leaves and is just a prayer away at all times and in all things. Because of that, we never have to face any situation alone. His presence is all around us. Don’t worry about messing things up. He is in control and He is more concerned with our persistence than our perfection.

Why worry when you can pray?

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

Are you ready to ask the Holy Spirit to direct your life? Why not pray this simple prayer right now and by faith invite God to fill you with His Spirit:

Dear Father, I need you. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you by directing my own life. I thank you that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, bow in prayer and trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now.

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Having an Unsinkable Faith

Think about it. Is your faith unsinkable?

“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” Hebrews 11:7

Much has been written about the sinking of the Titanic on its century anniversary. A lot has been true and some folklore. One story tells of a crewman who told a passenger upon embarkation that, “No one could sink this ship, not even God.” The liner went down on April 15, 1912, carrying 2,223 passengers. The sinking caused the death of 1,514 of them.

Then there was the documented story of Baptist preacher John Harper, which is chronicled in the book The Titanic’s Last Hero by Moody Adams.

“That Baptist minister actually ran around the deck shouting ‘Women and children and unsaved people, get aboard the lifeboats,‘” says Adams. “He even took off his life vest and gave it to a man who was not a believer in Jesus Christ. He said: ‘Here, take this. I don’t need it. I’m not going down — I’m going up!'”

Harper did not stop evangelizing to a non-believer he encountered while enduring the frigid waters of the Atlantic.

“And Harper’s last words were ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.’ A few weeks later in Hamilton, Ontario, that same man said I listened to Reverend Harper’s last message and became a believer in Jesus Christ with two miles of water beneath me.”

When she set sail, there were all kinds of classes and degrees of people on board: — upper class, middle class and lower class!! — But after she had sunk, there were only two classes; — Saved and lost!!

Think about it. Is your faith unsinkable? When your physical boat sinks, are you going up or down?

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

The Thank You List

“I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.” Psalm 7:17

Recently, I was praising and thanking God for something he had done for me that very day, but He said what about last week, last month, last year? How soon do we forget?

I must plead guilty to a prayer life that is too tilted in the direction of my current prayer needs and not enough in thanks for all he has done. Just think about what God has done for us as Christians…. His righteousness and holiness, all his marvelous works, our physical bodies, His guidance and instruction for us, our salvation, the hope He has given us, the joy of being in his presence, His answer to our prayers for help and the list goes on.

These are general things applicable to all of us. But what about the things he has done specifically for us? I have been making a mental list of things God has done for me, some decades ago. He has always been there for me. While I am thankful for the things he has done for me, I am especially thankful for the things He has kept from happening, even things I very much wanted at the time, which looking back would have been an ultimate disaster.

When I was growing up, one of my favorite television shows was Father Knows Best. While it was about a family, the title has spiritual connotations. Our Heavenly Father knows best as well.

Over these past days, I have tried to examine every year of my life and think of what God did for me, even before I was saved. It has brought to mind things I had long ago forgotten and regrettable probably never thanks God for, at least not recently.

When was the last time you made a ‘thank-you’ list?

Try it today. Recall the prayers God has answered recently, the needs He has provided for, spiritual victories you have enjoyed and last but not least, the faithful character of our Lord. Then begin thanking God for each item on your list, and your faith will grow stronger.

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

Be an Encourager

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25 (ESV)

I enjoy being a devotional writer, a ministry I started for my Bible fellowship class nearly twenty years ago, and have continued each week since then. My mailing list has grown over the years and several publishers re-direct to their audiences in the thousands over six continents.

I am humbled with the feedback I get from people I have never met and never will, but whose lives I have impacted. One in particular, a man named Stephen in Bangalore, India writes me faithfully each week. His notes are such an encouragement to me.

Several years ago, I received a note from a man in Kenya. He said he was a new Christian and had been asked to lead the village’s weekly Bible study. He said he didn’t know what to use until he read my weekly Thoughts on Life and then used it to share with those in the village.

I am amazed that in this new world of international electronic communication that I can sit at my desk and reach the most remote places in the world for Jesus. With humility, I thank God that I can do this ministry.

My only goal is to encourage others in their faith and they in turn encourage me. Encouragement is one of the greatest powers in the world. We all need it. Sharing a kind or positive word, paying a compliment, giving a hug or a pat on the back, recognizing someone for a job well done. These are all powerful ways to boost the mental and spiritual state of those around you.

The writer of Hebrews says it well.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Encouraging others is a way to stir them up to love and perform good works. That’s pretty powerful stuff especially in a world that seems geared toward tearing us down. Encouraging Someone Is easy, but powerful. It just doesn’t take much to encourage others.

How much effort is it really? Drop a note, send an email, publicly praise someone. None of these take much time, money or effort. Yet they can stir us up to love and good works.

Encourage someone today and be prepared to receive back even more. In addition to making others day, it will make you feel so good when you are in a mood of encouragement.

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

Sin Whispers

We have to live Biblically in a world or system that is intrinsically corrupt, immoral and un (or even anti) Biblical.

“Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.” Psalm 36:1-2

I have to fight it every day. You see, I don’t have a personal identity crisis. I have a sinful identity crisis. It comes as standard equipment with the human package. Even with Christ in my heart, I still have whispering sin in my head.

As living humans, we are all broken in various ways, absent Christ in our lives and even then sin doesn’t easily surrender.

Psalm 36 does a great job of taking this full circle: The wicked have no fear of God and in their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they are. They make no attempt to turn from evil.

The sinful man listens to himself rather than to God. He convinces himself that sin is what he wants and he orients himself to take advantage of every sinful opportunity. He has no desire nor does he make any attempt to turn from evil.

The mind plots. The will sets the desire. The emotion does not despise evil. Life, like this psalm would be hopeless if it ended here, but it doesn’t have to.

God can rescue man from sin and eagerly awaits every opportunity to do so. His position remains steadfast and he is not blown by the winds of cultural change. His love is as vast as the heavens and His faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. All humanity can find shelter in the shadows of His wings.

Our modern culture has made sin so acceptable that it is becoming politically incorrect to speak out against some kinds of sin. We, as Christians, are drawn to examine our own hearts, lest we are swept away by the sinful culture around us.

The miracle of God’s grace is that our view of sin reveals our view of scripture and my view of scripture reveals my view of myself.

We have to live Biblically in a world or system that is intrinsically corrupt, immoral and un (or even anti) Biblical.

Only with God’s grace can we rise above that. Through Christ alone we can be overcomers. Righteousness equals Jesus Christ and nothing else.

By John Grant
Used by Permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney.

A Time to Throw Away

What are you holding onto that bogs you down and hinders you in your walk of faith?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12: 1-4

While looking for something I had carefully put away so that it wouldn’t get lost, I realized that I forgot where I had put it. As I went through drawers and closets, unopened in no telling how long, I was amazed at what I found, most of it filled with the unwanted and unneeded, some of it even unopened, I came to the conclusion that we were just “over stuffed” with needless stuff everywhere.

I have just finished reading my third book on the adventures of Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton’s 1914-17 expedition to Antarctica. It is fascinating. It was one of the greatest survival stories of all time. When he advertised for recruiting twenty six crew members, more than five thousand applied, notwithstanding the fact that the advertisement read, “chances of survival slim.”

Perhaps you remember the story. They sailed from Buenos Aries on the Endurance across to the Wendell Sea. Endurance became trapped in ice and was eventually crushed by the expansion of thousands of tons of ice. The crew was faced with spending the winter on the ice and then sailing lifeboats to Elephant Island and ultimately to South Georgia. It was one of the greatest tests of human survival ever and under Shackleton’s leadership, all survived.

The scene in the movie was so vivid when they salvaged what they could from the endurance and set out towing sledges across the ice. They needed everything they needed to survive. They could not afford to take anything that was not necessary for survival. Shackleton took gold coins out of his pocket and threw them in the snow, as an example for others to follow. He said that if they made it out safely, they would not need things like that and if they didn’t, they would be of no value.

There’s a spiritual parallel here. The writer of Hebrews 12 tells us: let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

What are you holding onto that bogs you down and hinders you in your walk of faith? What ultimately meaningless “stuff” are you hoarding that holds you back in your spiritual growth? Whatever it is, get rid of it so that your life may be full and your spiritual walk unburdened with the things of this earth?

by John Grant
Used by Permission

The Detours of Life

Do you sometimes get irritated with the detours in your life?

“Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia, and then returned to Damascus.” Galatians 1:17

Recently while on a multi-state trip in my newly acquired vehicle, a notice appeared on the navigation screen advising me of a traffic jam caused by an accident ahead on my route. It asked if I wanted to be re-routed around the accident and I verbally said yes and instantly a new route screened and I was able to avoid the delay and be on my way.

At first I was irritated because the alternate route took me off the interstate highway I was on and took me through rural roads with small towns with lower speed limits, but in the end, I still saved time.

Do you sometimes get irritated with the detours in your life? Do you realize that sometimes God has a purpose?

Look at some prominent detours in the Bible. Detours, when we get off the main road, can be frustrating and time consuming. Yet in the spiritual life, God seems to allow us to be detoured. One of the longest detours of all time happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness. What should have taken them eleven days to enter the Promised Land turned into a forty-year detour in the desert.

That detour was due to their deplorable lack of faith in God’s conquering power. On the other hand, there were those who may have thought they were being detoured by God, but who later found they were on God’s perfect road of blessing all along.

Consider: 1) Moses was detoured into submission. Those forty years in the wilderness tending sheep were not a waste, but actually a training ground for tending Israel later on. The desert experience took all the trust in the arm of flesh out of Moses.

Consider: 2) Paul was detoured into learning. “I went into Arabia…then after three years I went up to Jerusalem” (Galatians 1:17,18). Those years were good for Paul, so that he might learn of Christ and be trained for service.

Consider: 3) Philip was detoured from many, to one. He went from winning multitudes, to winning one man, the Ethiopian eunuch; from a great revival to a singular witnessing experience. This story shows the Lord’s estimation of the value of one soul.

Consider: 4) Enoch and Elijah were detoured into heaven (Genesis 5:24, II Kings 2:11).

Is today the day we will experience an unexpected and seeming inconvenient and direction changing experience in our lives? If so, remember that God sometimes gives us detours for us to grow and be strengthened for work in His Kingdom.

by John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

He Cares for You!

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT)

If you are struggling or stressed with life’s obstacles, look to scripture to feel God’s love and gain His perspective on the situation. The Bible is full of scriptures that show God’s unfathomable love for us, and discovering that His love is everlasting is the most important of them all.

The Bible tells us that His love is far greater than any human love imaginable. Nothing we do (or anyone else does to us) will ever separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:37-39)

He loves us so much that He gave His only son, and promises, that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. (John 3:16)

When we were dead in our own sin, through His mercy and grace He has made us alive together with Christ. By grace we are saved. (Ephesians 2:8) While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Not only does God love us, He also cares for us and wants to reveal Himself in the midst of all our troubles. He invites us to cast all our cares on Him. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

He is a God of mercy and grace, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15)

No person can love or even understand the depth and breadth of God’s love, but we can accept it.

No matter what our circumstance may be or how great our sin, God’s love is always unconditional and His Power is always available to help make us more like Jesus.

Father I don’t fully understand Your love, but I freely accept it as a gift of Your grace and mercy. Thank You for loving me no matter how badly I stumble. I cast my cares on You and accept all the love You have for me. Amen.

Seek to understand and experience the love of God more deeply. Write some of the verses from today’s devotion on sticky notes. Then post them around the house in obvious places (the fridge or cupboard door, your night table, mirror, etc.) Then let the truth sink deeply into your soul each time you read the verses. God loves you so much!

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

The New Is Here

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! “ 2 Corinthians. 5:17

The old year is gone and the new has come.

It is a blank slate. Last year is history and this year is a mystery. Who knows what the New Year will bring? God does! Perhaps your best act would be to place the right foundation on the face of the New Year in your life. That foundation is the Gospel message plain and simple.

God so loved the world He created that He gave sinful man a second chance by sending His only Son as our Savior, not only for us, but for the whole world.

God has a plan for our lives in this coming year and for all years to come. His plan is for us to believe in Him and have everlasting life.
Not only does He have plan, but, He has a provision. He sent His only son as a provision for us. We can take that to the redemption center at the foot of the cross and have everlasting life, gloriously in eternity.
Lastly, He has a promise. We all make and break promises, especially at this time of the year, but God’s promise of eternal life is written in blood and cannot and will not be broken. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. (John 3:17)

No other verse in the Bible so succinctly summarizes God’s relationship with humanity and the way of salvation than does John 3:16 revealing God’s plan, provision and promise. Some consider John 3:16 as the “theme verse” for the entire Bible. John 3:16 tells us of the love God has for us and the extent of that love—so great that He sacrificed His only Son on our behalf. John 3:16 teaches us that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, will be saved. John 3:16 gave us the glorious hope of eternal life in heaven through the love of God and death of Jesus Christ.

There is no more powerful way to deliver this message than to let John 3:16 speak for itself. God so loved the world (you and me) that He sent His only begotten Son so that all who believe shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

Black Holes

A black hole. That’s what it seems like at times in our personal lives.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” Psalm 40:1-3

A black hole. That’s what it seems like at times in our personal lives.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) defines a “Black Hole” as “A place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. And because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. They are invisible.”

That’s it. That’s what life seems like at times—pulled and squeezed at every possible point, with not a bit of light anywhere, darkness all around and deep within. Even the “invisible” part of the definition fits—finding it hard many times to identify what it is causing the darkness in our lives and hearts.

David, even as King David, felt that darkness, those black holes at times enveloping his life and inner being. Running from his own mistakes, running from others and hiding in caves, wondering all too often where God was, crying out to Him and asking why God had forsaken him.

That’s it. We’ve all felt it and been there. All.

Then add the stuff going on in the nation and world around us this past year and more. And we have an even blacker hole, if such a thing is possible. No light. Squeezed tight. Pulled every which-way but what’s right. And not at all sure of the way out.

But that same David, in his better moments—where and when he sought out, leaned toward and waited patiently for God—found the light that was always there for him. Even through the black holes in his own life.

The light from the Lord who lifted him out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; and set his feet on a rock giving him a firm place to stand, putting a new song in His mouth. A hymn of praise to his God.

When David waited patiently for the Lord—when he sought the Lord first—the Lord turned to him and heard his pleas for help and guided him out of and through the black holes and darkness he faced in life.

That’s it. Facing whatever we face. Black holes and more. Squeezed tight and pulled in every direction.

‘Wait patiently for the Lord to hear our cry, and to lift us out of the slimy pit, and set our feet on a rock. And then put a new song in our mouth,’ a hymn of praise to God. Our Light. Sounds about right. Pastor Scott Whitaker

By John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

Category: <span>thoughts by John Grant</span>

Further Reading

Like focusing on our driving, Christians need to be spiritually focused.

Further Reading

Further Reading

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” – Matthew. 5:14

Further Reading

“Find rest Oh my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.” Psalm 62:5

Why worry when you can pray?

Further Reading

Think about it. Is your faith unsinkable?

Further Reading

When was the last time you made a ‘thank-you’ list?

FURTHER READING

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25 (ESV)

Further Reading

We have to live Biblically in a world or system that is intrinsically corrupt, immoral and un (or even anti) Biblical.

Further Reading

What are you holding onto that bogs you down and hinders you in your walk of faith?

Further Reading

Do you sometimes get irritated with the detours in your life?

Further Reading

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT)

Further Reading

The old year is gone and the new has come.

Further Reading

A black hole. That’s what it seems like at times in our personal lives.

Further Reading