Only Grace

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us."

Romans 12:2-6


 

 
These past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Remember that door that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that had closed? Well the windows are beginning to open and it is so incredibly refreshing. After months and months in the desert thirsting and alone, I have finally found an oasis that has quenched the soul and brought much relief.

So many new opportunities and exciting things happening which have kept me extremely busy but I am so incredibly thankful for every moment as it is only proving to be blessings of God's faithfulness.

I haven't been able to write much lately but did have two questions sent to me about two posting that I had previously written and so I am going to take the time this morning to answer them and hopefully shed some light for this anonymous person.


 
Question 1 (references posting Reflection 8/24): Okay, so I believe also that God has great plans for us, but what happens when we deliberately disobey him? Doesn't that remove us from his will and therefor his plans of prosperity for us?


Absolutely. God is Holy and we cannot be in His presence or in His will when we sin or deliberately disobey. The important thing we need to realize is that we each deliberately disobey Him every day. Every time we lie, we deliberately disobey. Every time we gossip, we deliberately disobey. Every time we show disrespect to our spouse or friends, we deliberately disobey. Every time we put work, hobbies, or even a person before God, we deliberately disobey. You see, every one of us deliberately disobeys God pretty much every day which means that we should come before Him every day, confessing our sins/disobedience and asking for His forgiveness. No one is perfect, though many would believe differently about themselves, and because of this, we need Jesus. He came to save us because He loves us. God is the most incredible daddy we will ever have. I have five amazing kids who deliberately disobey me every day, but no matter what they do, they could NEVER lose my love. It was not until I became a parent that I totally understood this love that God has for me, His precious daughter. We are all going to screw up and do the wrong thing, but God will NEVER turn His back when we seek His forgiveness. Knowing that He loves me more than I love my kids is more than I can comprehend but that is ok. I know it is true and in that there in such peace and confidence because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am a child of God. As long as I continue to seek His will and His face, He will bless me. It doesn't mean that I will not fall on my face from time to time but the awesome thing is that is He is ALWAYS there to pick me up, brush me off, wipe away the tears and hold me until the pain is gone.


 
Question 2 (references posting The Great Adventure 8/16) What was the sermon? Why do you feel like God wanted you there and Satan didn't?

The sermon was about missions and the Great Commission. This is something I have a strong desire for and over the years have forgotten because of the circumstances in my life. I love people and want to love people where they are but sometimes the church can make you forget who God created you to be and over the months, He has really been working in my life to show me my purpose in His plan. How do I know it was God and not Satan that wanted me there? Because the last thing that Satan wants is for us to be with a body of believers worshiping God. On top of that, there is no way that Satan wanted me to be reminded that I am to go out into the world and share the love of Christ. That would be the LAST sermon he would want me to hear. Most importantly though, I know when God is speaking to my heart. I know the peace that comes from hearing His voice through the chaos and acting in obedience to His direction. You can spot a person out of God's will a mile away. They are constantly stressed, paranoid, obsessed and looking at everyone as if they are the enemy. They have no peace in their life and are constantly looking for ways to bring down others because it brings them temporary happiness. The problem is just that though, it is only temporary and then they are up and running to find the next victim to bring them some validation. Sounds harsh but it is true. That is the ugliness of living a life without God and focused totally on yourself. That is a life that brings no glory to God. Many out there proclaim to be followers of Christ but do not know peace because they cannot get past themselves. You know when you are walking with God and when He speaks to you. There is no guilt, no shame. These are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs and if you feel like you are not good enough or do not deserve His love and grace, listen to this song. You will hear the peace in the voice of the singer and recognize that he gets it.

There is no guilt here
There is no shame
No pointing fingers
There is no blame
What happened yesterday…has disappeared
The dirt has washed away
And now it's clear

There's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace

You're starting over now
Under the Son
You're stepping forward now
A new life has begun
Your new life has begun

An' there's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me…it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace…

And if you should fall again
Get back up, get back up
Reach out and take my hand
Get back up, get back up
Get back up again
Ohh…get…back…up…again…

 

I want to end by thanking my anonymous reader. I had a really sweet quiet time this morning as I reflected on your questions and was reminded of God's love, grace and mercy.