DAY BY DAY BY GRACE

Day By Day By Grace
by Bob Hoekstra


"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me...My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (Luke 9:23 and John 10:27)


As we have seen, following Jesus as a disciple is another way to relate rightly to the Lord in humility and faith. Discipleship begins with renouncing the self-life and confessing death for the self-life. "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily." Initially and continually, these humble and trusting responses to Jesus deal with self, which is the basic obstruction to following Him.

 Ultimately, three simple words express the very heart of
discipleship: "and follow Me."


All of the Christian life can be summed up and fulfilled in this profound relationship--a humble, dependent walk with the Lord.


It is the will of God that we grow in His all-sufficient grace. "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

Jesus came overflowing with that grace. "And the Word became
flesh and dwelt among us...full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

As we follow Him in humble dependence, He pours His grace into our lives.


Jesus has all that we need. In Him, the complete resources of the Godhead for our personal wholeness reside.

"For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him"


(Colossians 2:9-10). In Him, all wisdom and knowledge are contained:


"in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3).

Jesus is the very life that we are called to live:


"Christ who is our life" (Colossians 3:4).

He is our "all and in all" (Colossians 3:11).

We need the Lord Jesus like sheep need a shepherd. In fact, our
discipleship walk with Christ is portrayed in Scripture as sheep
following a shepherd.

Those who are in the world are like sheep without
a shepherd. What a needy picture that is.

"But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd" (Matthew 9:36).


Jesus, our shepherd, is the ultimate shepherd. "I am the good shepherd.


The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:11).

Having died for us, our shepherd wants to lead us throughout our lives. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).


In humble dependence, we can hear His voice through His word and be led by His Spirit. Thereby, we enter into the fullness of the grace that God has for us during our pilgrimage here on this earth.


Jesus, my Good Shepherd, I need You like a sheep needs a shepherd. I humbly trust You to lead me through life, pouring out upon me the fullness of Your grace, in Your wonderful name, Amen.

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I'll say it again....for me to sit up in life (and eat healthily) requires three foundational legs for my "stool".
It is easy for me to discount the spiritual aspect because I don't wish to give up control.

"What? DENY MYSELF?? Accept this "cross" of compulsive overeating to bear? Humbly follow someone else?"

That "I", that "ME" - gets me in a lot of trouble.

If I could do it on my own I wouldn't have ballooned up close to 400 pounds.

I needed outside help and accountability.  God provided that through Mercy Weight Loss for me.

Of course I choose to believe that.

It could be I'm just  that "smart".  But then where did my brains come from?

Reliance on a "Higher Power" has pulled many millions back from completely ruined lives, and yet "I" want to do it my way.

When I do it "MY" way  that's what "I" get: "I WEIGH" alot!

It's an inexact way, this living by God's grace each day. 

It's not easy to measure. 

I trust HE knows what's best for me and it's amazing how often HE uses the normal everyday people around me.

Like Nancy, Laura, Emily and Julie.

Like Megan, Jennifer, Heather and Alisa.

Like Sue - my weight management buddy.

[Anyone else notice the "estrogen" trend here?] hmmmm.

Let go and let God???

He made us...He knows how to take care of us. 

In Him is life.

That spiritual life compels me forward to eating for a healthy physical life.  And it helps me not be quite so mentally ill.

Heavy thoughts dragging me forward...YES!... into lighter (and grateful) living.