Resting in His Grace

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 19:11-13

Have you ever looked back on your past and realized that God’s hand has been with you ever since you were born? He has orchestrated the time, the place of your birth, the parents that He gave you, the hardships, the joys and opportunities to draw you closer to Himself. He blessed you with a church to hear the Gospel or maybe a Christian relative or friend that told you about Jesus. He has always been in control of every situation and used many of them to get your attention and cause you to look up and thank Him for the glorious provision He has made by giving His own Son as a substitute for our sins. He has been planning from eternity past and He knew what this day would bring in your life. He’s prepared to lead you, protect you and provide for you.

Such security in the sovereignty of God should leave us speechless, worshipful and thankful. It should cause us to live in reverence and holiness of One whose very Word spoke light into existence, whose hand holds the oceans in the hollow of His hand, whose finger brought the plagues of Egypt when His people were held in bondage, and whose eyes run throughout the earth looking for those hearts that are turned toward Him. Catching a glimpse of His wonder throughout the day is enough to break the heart free from the natural and by faith enter the supernatural where nothing is too hard for Him. He is God and there are no others! His name must be shared to the ends of the earth, to the edge of your families, in the heart of your community and within the walls of your home.

Time-out.

If He is so great, then why do we feel so indifferent, distant and joyless at times? Why does our heart grow cold, emotions stale and mind stagnant to the things of God. It’s simple, we quit believing that He is who He says He is and fall into sin. Little sins add up and build walls around our hearts. Just like a marriage or any other relationship, when time is not spent with the one you love, effort is not made in cultivating the relationship, and open communication begins to wane, it seems that everything falls apart. God is true, honest and open to communicate on the basis of the cross where our human pride collided with the humility of God. Only by humbling ourselves before His might hand, can we be lifted up. David found himself in a pit after committing adultery with Bathsheba and cried out, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalms 51:12, 17). .

We often forget our brokenness outside the grace of God. Without Him we can do nothing. The freshness of our relationship with Jesus comes by remembering His Word, His promises, and anticipating His return. Be careful not to allow yourself to find your satisfaction in a hobby, job or other relationship. In Jeremiah 2:13, God said, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.”

If you are a believer, you have tasted the fullness of Christ and will never be able to find satisfaction in this world again. Joy will come and go when we play see-saw with God’s word and His leading. However, He’s looking for those who are sliding down the slide of consecration, with hands lifted up in worship, and falling forever in love with Him—the One who first loved you and me. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25