Every Day Is Abba’s Day

June 18, 2022 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Every Day Is Abba's Day SCOTTY SMITH “Behold, ponder—be astonished at the great love the Father has lavished on you.” 1 John 3:1   Heavenly Father, thank you for being the Father we long for, and desperately need. In the USA, tomorrow is Father’s Day, but in the Gospel every day is Father’s Day. We’ve got a long list of reasons we are grateful to call you Abba. For starters, thank you for adopting us—for making your heart our home, Jesus our righteousness, and your sovereignty our sanity. Thank you for giving us the “Spirit of sonship” (Rom. 8:15-16)—who every day is telling us about Jesus (John 15:26), and reminding us that we really are your beloved children. Thank you for being “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). We need both in large amounts. Thank you for promising to complete the work you began in us (Phil. 1:6). Thank you BIG time for that assurance, and until that Day, thank you for only disciplining us in love (Heb. 12:6)—never shaming, condemning, or withdrawing from us. Thank you, Abba. And thank you for grace to forgive our earthly fathers—none of whom could be or replace you; and grace for the ways we dads haven’t been the father we hoped to be. Continue to heal our relationship with our kids as we get closer to Home. Lastly, Father, we thank you for the spiritual dads you’ve given us—our Gospel-Fathers who help us know you better, grow in grace, and live for your glory. Your love, kindness, and generosity are without comparison. We love and bless you. So Very Amen.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Polite But Not Passionate?

June 17, 2022 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Polite But Not Passionate? SCOTTY SMITH   Paul writing to his friends: “I promised you to one husband, to Christ… but I fear, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your simple and whole-hearted devotion to Christ.” 2 Cor. 11:2–3       Lord Jesus, two things are neon-flashing-light clear in this passage. #1, we belong to you as a washed, dressed, cherished Bride. Not metaphorically, we really are married to you—loved as much as we ever will be. This is the greatness of the Gospel.      #2, Satan hates the “first thing.” He’ll do anything to diminish, divert, and destroy our delight in you. He abhors your measureless love for us and fears our wholehearted love for you.     Whether through condemnation or persecution, seduction or suffering, busyness or laziness, the devil’s goal is always the same—to steal our hearts away from you. He doesn’t care if we admire and appreciate you, so long as we aren’t “smitten” with you.      O, Lord Jesus, wake us from our slumber. Thaw our chilled hearts. To whom or what have we given the adoration, affection, attention, and allegiance you alone deserve? Make your beauty, love, and delight in us compelling and consuming realities.      Restore to us the love we had for you as new believers. And if we’ve always been “measured” in our love for you—polite, but not passionate, “fix” that in us, Jesus. Free us to love you with joy, abandon, and surrender—whether we’re 18, 38, or 80. So Very Amen.  Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

A Prayer Life as Robust, Big, and Perfect as Jesus

June 16, 2022 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH A Prayer Life as Robust, Big, and Perfect as Jesus SCOTTY SMITH “The prayer of a righteous man (Jesus) is powerful and effective.” James 5:16   Dear Jesus, my prayer life, like many other parts of my discipleship, has suffered the damaging effects bad teaching through the years. This one verse in James used to intimidate me and discourage me from praying. I assumed the only “powerful and effective” prayers were ones you answered with a big “Yes.” Worse I thought the health of my prayer life was directly related to my maturity as a Christian—a scary thought now. Thankfully, the Gospel has been deconstructing and rebuilding my prayer life. Jesus, I now understand that you are the “righteous man” whose prayers are powerful and effective—perfectly answered by your “Yes’s, No’s, Not Yet’s, and Trust Me’s.” And the only righteousness I have is yours—freely given to us through the Gospel (Hallelujah!). Jesus, you are our great prayer warrior—ever living to pray for us—ever-so-graciously purifying our prayers as they rise to heaven. Because our permanent address is “in Christ,” we’ve been set free to pray with palms-up boldness. You are the sovereign King who is reigning over all things, not a computer waiting to be programmed by us. You are our great Bridegroom who enjoys communing and fellowshipping with us in prayer, not our “cosmic-concierge,” waiting for a call to arrange our day trips. Because the Gospel is true, throughout eternity our declaration will be, “You have done all things well.” Why pray? Because you are God and we are not. Why pray? Because you command it, commend it and commune with us through it. ‘Tis way more than enough reason. So Very Amen.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

More Father Adoration, Less “What If” Vexation

June 15, 2022 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH More Father Adoration, Less "What If" Vexation SCOTTY SMITH   “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed (for his arrest and probable death), he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God.” Daniel 6:10   Heavenly Father, I am so drawn to this combination of real threat, grateful heart, and open windows. Daniel was neither paranoid nor presumptuous, but he was obviously at peace. He knew you better than the outcome of this his immanent arrest. What freedom, intimacy, and trust your aging son enjoyed with you. His windows were open, knees were bent, and his heart was full. By the riches of grace and power of the Spirit, renew this same peace in us. I remember when your presence was more real than any threat or fear. I know I was naïve, but I also know I didn’t worry about the next war, epi-or-pandemic, the stock market, things I can’t control, and every new designer-fear coming down the pike. You never commanded Daniel to hit his knees 3 times a day. You didn’t have to, for it was his delight. No government decree could keep him from loving you, seeking you, enjoying you. He was more committed to your glory than his story. Certainly, his life could have been taken from him. But Daniel couldn’t be taken from you, only to you. Father, free us to rest in the Gospel, boast in Jesus, and serve you with joy—much more than we vex about “What ifs?” and cling to this life. So Very Amen.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

A “Kindness-Trifecta” Always Wins

June 14, 2022 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH A "Kindness-Trifecta" Always Wins SCOTTY SMITH “The kindness of God leads you to repentance…” (Rom. 2:4). “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us...” (Tit. 3:4). “Clothe yourselves with… kindness” (Col. 3:12).   Heavenly Father, we might call this meditation/prayer a “kindness-trifecta.” Not because we picked the first 3 finishers of a horse race; rather, because kindness never loses, and a 3-fold kindness cord is really awesome and hard to beat. Your kindness (not harshness) first drove us to Jesus (and still does). Indeed, free-grace salvation came to us like a “kindness-epiphany”—the glorious “Eureka! of realizing we could never save ourselves, but you totally did by the Gospel. Thank you! On this June Tuesday, some of us are in vacation-mode, others in vocation-mode; and a whole bunch of us are in “vexing-mode.” Whatever attire we don for the occasion, we’ll remain under-dressed until we clothe ourselves with your kindness (Col. 3:12). Though our culture is getting more cancel-happy, hubris-soaked, and spite-fluent, that’s not who you call us to be. In our most strident conflicts, grace-needy relationships, and intense differences, there’s always a kinder way forward. Not “playing nice,” but living as yours—not being passive, but possessed by a greater Spirit. Father, compel us to love others as Jesus loves us. Don’t let our harsh thoughts become harmful words today. Help us think, feel, speak, and act in line with the truth of the Gospel (Gal. 2:14). So Very Amen, we pray.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Eternity-Minded, Jesus-Hearted, Mission-Living

June 13, 2022 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Eternity-Minded, Jesus-Hearted, Mission-Living SCOTTY SMITH “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Cor. 15:19) “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.” (Phil. 1:23); “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.” (Rev. 22:17)   Lord Jesus, heaven is the Home for which we ache. The heart-hole nothing else can fill. The wholeness we crave in a world of everything-is-brokenness. Thank you for earning heaven for us and keeping us for heaven. The “eternity” you placed in our hearts  (Eccl. 3:11) is more about cardiology (Who we’re made to love), than chronology (how long we’re gonna live). Heaven isn’t “being out of this mess,” streets of gold, angelic hosts, or endless worship singing. The better-by-far-ness of heaven, first and foremost, is being with you—seeing you as you are, and being made like you (1 John 3:1-3). So, unleash our craving for you, Jesus. May nothing else matter to us more than you. Keep us redemptively discontent till the Day we are utterly, fully, “mind-blowingly” satisfied in you. And show us how to spend and be spent in sharing the Gospel with others—whatever our vocation, season of life, and web of relationships. What a privilege to be a means by which the Spirit says, “Come. If you’re thirsty, come to Jesus. Drink freely from the water of life.” Life is so short, and you are SO good. So Very Amen.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe