HE was never in a hurry

Many years ago I attended the funeral of the father of one of the mentors in my life.  My friend actually spoke at the funeral and I remember two impactful things he said about his father.  He said his father was never in a hurry and that he was the most innocent man he ever knew.  He said his father always had time for other people and never rushed along in his daily pace. He stated his father's innocence came from the fact that he believed in the promises of God. He never doubted them and found true hope in those promises.  In Mark 5, we see Jesus display that He was never in a hurry and that He would not be hurried along by the world around Him.

'Who touched me?'" ³²And he looked around to see who had done it. ³³But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. ³⁴And he said to her, "Daughter,^(I) your faith has made you well;^(J) go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
 ³⁵While he was still speaking, there came from^(K) the ruler’s house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why^(L) trouble^(M) the Teacher any further?" ³⁶But overhearing^[a] what they said, Jesus said to^(N) the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."

What do you think the father of the little girl was thinking about Jesus "not being in a hurry"?  Jesus takes time to focus on this woman. He displays the fact that God's grace has it's own schedule and timing.

I saw 60 year old men crying at this man's funeral because he had displayed grace to them by never being in a hurry just like Jesus. I pray that at my funeral they will say "He was never in a hurry!"

YOU are really and truly and completely FREE!!

I recently had a book reccomended to me by Alan Miller,pastor of First Missionary Baptist.  It is titled  A Scandalous Freedom...The radical nature of the Gospel.  I have only gotten through the first two chapters but have already underlined and highlighted numerous things.  I was really struck by the following from pgs. 12 and 13......  "There is no kicker. There is no if and or but. You are free. Abraham Lincoln went to a slave market. There he noted a young,beautiful African-American woman being auctioned off to the highest bidder. He bid on her and won.He could see the anger in the young woman's eyes and could imagine what she was thinking.Another white man who will buy me,use me,and then discard me. As Lincoln walked off with his property, he turned to the woman and said, "You're free."    "Yeah. What does that mean?" she replied.   "It means that you're free"   "Does it mean I can say whatever I want, be whatever I want, go wherever I want?"  "Yes, it means you can do all those things."  "Then," said the young woman, "I think I'll go with you"  That is what God has done for us. We have been bought with a price, the price of God's own Son.  We are really and truly and completely free!!!