From the Kitchen Table

The Kitchen Table

Day 17

“Grace”

And the Word became flesh, and  dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” ¹⁶ For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

John 1:14-16

Beauty begets beauty.  Glory creates glory!  Jesus, the glory, or beauty of God, came to bring the glory or beauty of God into our lives.  That happens by grace, God’s undeserved, unreserved love for us.  Beauty begets beauty and Jesus showed us what true beauty looks life.  Those ugly spots are just places where we need His grace.  The grace of God reveals the glory of God.  That’s what true love does.  Don’t live ugly, you don’t have to.

The Kitchen Table

Day 16

“Grace”

And the Word became flesh, and  dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

The glory of God is found in the grace of God.  We see that glory in the Son of God who lived in the grace of God.  Jesus lived every day in the grace, the undeserved & unreserved love of God, and it was beautiful.  It was glorious on Jesus and it will be glorious on us who believe.  The grace of God is a beautiful thing, and we must not be afraid to wear it by faith.  Live loved and you’ll love to live.

Kitchen Table

Day 15

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, ¹¹ trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.                                                                 1 Peter 1:10-11

Living in and living out God’s love has always been the plan.  So often we miss it because we believe In God, but we don’t necessarily believe God.  Grace isn’t our idea, it’s God’s idea for us.  We live in that undeserved, unreserved, unlimited love of God when we just believe & behave in that love.  When we wake up, we rejoice in that love.  When we fall down, we thank Him for that love.  When we succeed, we praise him and when we struggle, we look to Him.  When we get discouraged, we declare the love of God over us.  I will believe in nothing more than the love of God for me.  I won’t let my trials & troubles tell me who my God is; I will tell my trials & troubles who my God is.  He is Almighty and he always loves me.

The Kitchen Table

Day 13

obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.                           1 Peter 1:9

Something happens when we change our words.  When we start talking from love, in love, and with love for God, we start thinking differently.  Rather than letting our heads speak seems so logical and likely in this world, what if we started just speaking about the love, light, and life God has for us.  Speaking from the heart about what we really believe.  Maybe the problem for so many who call themselves believers is that they are speaking from the heart.  They believe in God, they just don’t believe God’s word.  Peter says to love God and rejoice with joy.  When we start speaking from the heart, we are speaking from what believe, not just what we feel.  Rather than talk about our problems, let’s talk about His promises and soon we will be thinking about His passion, power, and perspective rather than our problems, peril, and paranoia. 

The Kitchen Table

Day 12

and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory                  1 Peter 1:8

Love creates hope that inspires faith and faith is what we do while grace (God’s love) is what God does.  We fall in love through words.  We get impressed with works but even works become words.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  As we receive His words with our spirit we can begin rejoicing in His joy.  God’s love is greater than any peril or problem we might be facing.  Our trials and troubles don’t tell us who God is, truth does.  God’s word is truth.  Love is such a powerful part of our lives that it is important that we receive the right words from the right source.  Our lives, now and forever, are at stake.  Let your faith and hope take you to love and love greatly.  Heaven will be filled with great love, we might as well learn how to live in love now by rejoicing in the here and now.

The Kitchen Table 2022     Day 11

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, ⁷ so that the  proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Peter 1:6-7

We all have struggles in life; we live in a fallen world with a fallen nature and falling happens.  Don’t let your trials and troubles tell you who your God is but tell your trials and trouble who your God is.  The breath of God is in the word of God.  Receive His word like you breathe in air.  Let the word of God just fill your thoughts and form your take on life.  Double down in times of trouble.  Keep receiving and repeating God’s word.  His word will become more precious than anything else in this world because the Divine is in your destiny.    

Kitchen Table Devotions  2022        Day 10

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, ⁷ so that the  proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ

1 Peter 1:6-7

Let your trials and troubles push you toward God, not away.  Many people do the opposite.  Trials and troubles don’t tell us what’s wrong with God but rather what’s wrong with this world.  In the midst of trouble, rejoice!  Rejoice that you’ve found the truth and fix or cure to this life’s sorrow and sickness.  You’ve found the Savior, the Word of God who created all things good.  Let your faith, not your fear, move you and prove you a believer.  You’ll find that your faith is more precious than gold.

The Kitchen Table 2022               Day 9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

The power of God is real and readily available to those who access it by faith.  Grace is what God does and faith is what we do.  All the promises of God are protected by the power of God through faith.  Faith doesn’t move God, it moves us.  God has already moved but faith moves our mind and our muscles into the word, work, and will of God.  Don’t let sin, Satan, suffering, or sickness move your mind & muscle.  Let faith do that!  All those other things come to misplace our faith & cause us to believe someone or something other than God.  Believe!

The Kitchen Table 2022               Day 8

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

The promises of God are held in heaven, away from the threats and troubles of the here and now.  Nothing and no one can steal or sabotage the promises of God, not even you or me.  We are heirs of the King, the Lord, and all He has is ours.  This life and this world will try to convince us that we have nothing but don’t believe it.  God calls us blessed.  We live constantly with the hope of heaven in our hearts.  Real faith keeps talking about what we have from God through Jesus. 

The Kitchen Table Devotions  2022              Day 7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade

1 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

Can we grasp this truth, that the hope of God is living?  Living love creates living hope.  The hope of God is living, and it never diminishes.  Living love creates living hope that inspires living faith.  Believers don’t settle for memories or miseries; they reach for divinity and destiny every single day.  In fact, it’s the living hope of God that keeps us aware of the living love of God.  Look forward to this day and live by faith in the love and hope of God for your life.