Good morning friends!

Today is Saturday and when I got up to meet with the Lord this morning, He surprised me! I am praying for you today, that He will surprise you too and that today’s plunge will be as rich and meaningful as it can be.

Day 11

The Bread:  Read John 6:1-21

The Devo: Read Day 11 in Trust Without Borders. Jot down any key concepts that stand out to you.

The Plunge: Today’s devotional hit on another huge trust concept, that of daily trusting grace. In Christian circles, we often talk about doing certain things, such as loving our husbands, serving others, praying without ceasing, giving thanks, and not living for the approval of others.

But who are we kidding?

None of these things, considered to be the most basic fruits of Christianity, are done in our own strength or by our own goodness. It is only, always, by faith in the grace of God that we live the Christian life. Do you actively trust God for His grace each day? Just as the Israelites gathered manna each day, for each day’s need, so we too are to gather grace daily, as we need it. This is done through trust and reliance on our heavenly Father who provides all things for our benefit.

For today’s plunge, I’d like to give you a little practice in this process. And just a side note, we NEVER outgrow our need to practice this daily. It is a spiritual discipline! Below is how I like to do this (and I must admit I don’t do this everyday but my day goes much better when I do! I’m learning!)

1. Take 3 minutes to look at my calendar or schedule and see what responsibilities, demands, or requirements will be made of me today. Even if it is going to be a “mundane” day, I mentally go through what I expect to happen that day and take it before the Lord.

2. Confess to the Lord the sheer impossibility of the day ahead of me. I confess my inability to do even the smallest tasks like speaking kindly to my children or having the energy to finish what needs to get done. These are things most people probably don’t think twice about, but I am aware that I need the Lord!  I use Matthew 5:3 and John 15:5 as my confession.

3. In faith, ask the Lord for His quickening Spirit to enable me. Then I gather grace by choosing to trust His Word and asking Him for faith to believe what He has already said. Here are some of the scriptures I have printed off to use during this time: II Chronicles 28:20, Isaiah 41:10, II Cor 9:8, I Peter 4:11, Psalm 84:11, II Peter 1:4, II Thess 1:11-12.

You may want to prepare your own list of promises to memorize and have handy. These should be verses that resonate with your spirit and that you personally feel the Lord’s affirmation in. If you don’t have any yet, the verses above are a good place to start.

4. Then I thank God that He has granted my requests and I ACT. Trust isn’t finished until there’s action. :)  Sure, I fail. Yes, I forget. And yes, I still have wrong motives mixed in with the right ones. But that’s sort of  what trust is~ believing God to be bigger than all of that.  So go out today in trust, my friend! I’m doing the same.

 Surprise! Listen to John Piper’s message on these concepts here. Maybe while cleaning or cooking today? Enjoy!