Don't Pay for Parking [Day 22]
By Andrew Jennings
Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:13-14 NLT)
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. (Psalm 23:1-3a NLT)
You’ve heard it a million times. “Don’t pay for parking!” It’s practically one of Kalos’ mottos by now. Find a volunteer who has a green ticket. Put the white ticket in first and the green ticket in second! It’s that simple. Yet for some reason, green ticket in hand, some people still decide to put their credit card in that machine. Why!? Why would you waste both your own money and Kalos’?
God’s grace is like our green tickets. It’s free, and it helps us get through life’s barriers. But how many times do we put our own credit card into life’s machine? I’m burnt out, so I binge-watch Netflix. I’m depressed, so I go for a run, pour myself a drink, or eat too many carbs. What would happen if we started using our green tickets, though? I’m burnt out, so I turn on worship music. I’m depressed, so I pull out the Scripture, stop what I’m doing to pray, or memorize a chapter of the Bible. Jesus promised to give us life that would be a fresh, bubbling spring and give us eternal life. So today, instead of putting your own credit card into the machine, choose the green card. DON’T PAY FOR PARKING!
Turn on a great worship song (“Whole Heart” by Hillsong United; “Grace Alone” by Kings Kaleidoscope; “Prince of Peace” by Hillsong United; “You Came (Lazarus)” by Bethel Music; “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury), and spend the time thinking through what you’re going through and how to invite Jesus to be more a part of it.
Prayer
Lord, I know that I am not supposed to do life on my own. Forgive me for the times I do so anyway. Today I ask YOU for the grace to face today. I ask YOU for today’s daily bread. I ask YOU for the strength to overcome adversity. I ask YOU to stave off my loneliness. I ask YOU to be my source of energy and strength today. Unlike anything else I would search, I know You have all that I need. Thank You for Your grace; I know what it cost You, and I live today because of it!
