Quack! Quack! Quack!

From: Ben Kelley
Subject: Quack! Quack! Quack!

There is a saying I use sometimes when I have done something goofy, "To a duck, every day is a new day. Quack! Quack! Quack!" Originally, I meant it in a facetious way, just like the way some folks describe an "air-head" by saying, "he/she wakes up in a new world every day." I think of it in a good sense for believers, though, for in a few ways (two I will mention) we do wake up like a duck, in a brand new world, every single day. First of all, we wake up daily with a brand new opportunity to live for Jesus, with all of our previous sins, mistakes, errors, etc., washed down the drain of God's amazing grace. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19), As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.(Psalm 103:12). Secondly, a Christian starts each day with a new "grace-card." That grace-card is not like a credit or debit card, both of which have limits to what can be removed from the accounts they represent and have to be "replenished" by the holder putting money back into them. That new grace-card is spoken of by Jeremiah (sometimes known as the weeping prophet because of the mournful tones of this particular Bible book he wrote) in Lamentations, when he tucked a brilliant ray of sunshine into that otherwise dark account of his (and Israel's) suffering under God's hand. If your life is extra heavy right now, I hope your reading of it will help you to start "quacking!"

I have been so deprived of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is, that I think, "my strength is gone, and so is my hope in Adonai (Hebrew- Lord)." remember my utter misery, the wormwood and the gall. They are always on my mind; this is why I am so depressed. But in my mind I keep returning to something, something that gives me hope--- that the grace of Adonai is not exhausted, that His compassion is not ended. [On the contrary,] they are new every morning! How great Your faithfulness! "Adonai is all I have," I say, "therefore will I put my hope in Him." Adonai is good to those waiting for Him, to those who are seeking Him out. It is good to wait patiently for the saving help of Adonai. (Lamentations 3:17-26)

Do you get it? Your hope is not lost. No matter how dark or long a problem seems in your life, grace is not going to run out; the problem will not and can not deplete it! There is always a brand new "fresh off the press" supply available! Our brother Jeremiah went through a lot of hard times and got very depressed over them, but he "kept his sanity" by rehearsing (in my mind I keep returning to something) the fact of our Father's abundant and amazing grace, both to himself and God. If you think you're particular problem(s) indicates that you have exhausted God's grace, write down and rehearse these verses from Jeremiah's Lamentations. Remind our Lord of what they say and give Him glory by praising Him for what they say. No matter what the problem was today, tomorrow will be a brand new day with a super abundance of God's grace and mercy to carry you through. Remember Romans 5:20: where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (literally, super abounded); the bigger the problem, the bigger the grace. As far as our problems, trials, and tribulations go, each day we can start out with a good "Quack, quack, quack!" Just like Paul, be a duck: forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 3:13-14)