Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Wednesday, March 25, Galatians 1:15

"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace," (KJV)

When I read this, I think of Psalm 139, one that has become a staple "wake up prayer" for me:

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret; intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." (13-16)

This is a substantial reason why I am completely pro-life, not only from the time of conception, but from before time. You see, God knew me before I was born—I was part of His plan. He knew me when I was conceived, delivered, while I'm living now and after I died, though that has not happened yet. He is outside of our time, which is very hard for us to conceive, since we are mortals encased within.

And, though I was dead in trespasses and sins as it says in Ephesians: "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

"But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (2:1-7)

That's a big gulp for a morning devotion. Maybe you should read it through again, instead of a quick FB scan. Think about it. This murderer Paul, thinking he had the right to kill Christians because of his so-called "zeal for the traditions of his fathers", was personally called by Christ and became the foremost apostle to the Gentiles.

He probably knew more Scripture in his teens than most of us know in a lifetime, yet he knew them as a dead person, lost in his own trespasses and sins. And it "pleased God" to pull him out of that great deception and make him one of His children.

And he is not alone. God pleased to call me. And my pretty wife, and most of you reading this. And when He makes us alive, oh how wretched we first feel because we see our sinful selves, which leads us to abject repentance. And we receive mercy through the cross of Christ, Who took our place, defeated death and rose again. So we are not only forgiven, but by His glorious grace we are also raised with Him! Mercy and grace! From being slaves to sin to growing into Children of God!

And if you are still dead in your trespasses and sins, I pray that at this moment the Holy Spirit would open your eyes, so you can also be made alive in Christ. And if you do, please let us know!

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

Memory Helps

"But when it PLEASED GOD,
who SEPARATED ME from my mother's womb,
and CALLED ME by his grace,"

(Words per line: 5-7-6)

First I see the three past-tensed fragments in each phrase: "Pleased God/Separated me/Called me"

Then I simply move from there with word pictures as usual.

Linking verse numbers:

My friend "DaLe" is my memory character for verses 15 (T or D = 1, L = 5), wearing a huge bow Tie (T=1) for chapter 1:15. I picture first the throne in heaven that represents God glowing because He is pleased. Then, he is a baby (tie and all) separated already from his mother's womb, and receiving a phone call (called me). On the other line is a jug of "Good Grease", which is my symbol for "grace". Silly, but it is effective.