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The Lord is good, His ways are righteous, His timing is perfect, and His love never fails.
I've been encouraged by the intersection of God's justice and merciful love recently. He is a just and holy God--I'm in no way capable of entering his presence. I'm a sinful, prideful, gnarly, dirty, fallen human. If Adam and Eve hadn't have eaten the fruit in the garden, I would have. He loves me, though, so much that He provided the way for me to be with Him--His Son Jesus Christ took the punishment that my sin deserves and was separated from God in my stead. He mercifully and lovingly took the just punishment that I deserve in order that I may stand on Christ's good and spotless name. Not only that, but then Christ DEFEATED death! He arose from the grave as the victor over death, and He lives forever at the right hand of God, having paved the way for sinners like me to enter into heaven with Him. We can't do it in our power. We have to trust in Him.
The hard part is the waiting! I trust you, Lord! What are you waiting for! He whispers to me, "I have more for you to do here. I have a grand mission for my glory, and I invite you to be a part of it. Make my name famous and glorious. Be a mirror, that the sun may be reflected. I have a fantastic plan for this world, and it began before the world was even created, and it is amazing. You don't need to know the details--you need only know the steps that I show you, for you are a thread in the tapestry that illustrates the Truth of my Holiness. I invite you to take this specific next step, trusting me and honoring me as you go."
With my faith in the Lord, His Word on my heart, and His Spirit as my trusty guide, I'm moving forward, baby step by baby step. First the lesson was to trust in His Plan, ultimately for the world, and then personally for me. I'd trusted myself/relationships/knowledge/the world/anything before, and those failed me. I wasn't created to trust in those. I was created to trust the truly Trustworthy. It's a daily re-learning.
Next lesson is to trust in His Timing. He doesn't reveal that next baby step until it is time for me to take it. I must complete the current mission, learning all I need to learn, before continuing on. Sometimes I really really want to rush things along. Sometimes I wish He'd slow the mess down--I liked that peaceful meadow of a moment! Can't we hang out there for a bit? Sometimes I feel pressure from people/society to go at a different pace, even if I am confident that I'm following the Lord. It requires reliance on a strength and power very much outside of myself to make it through those pressures. Praise the Lord that He'll never give us more than He has equipped us for.
Do I still sin? Yes. Jeez, yes. Sadly, yes. Thankfully, I'm covered, once for all, by His atoning sacrifice. The more clearly I see the depths and depravity of my own heart, the more grateful I am of the Savior who has paved the way for me, even me. The more saddened I am by the stain of sin, the more sweet the saving work of Jesus. There is nothing I can do to lose His love, and there's no sin so big that He hasn't saved me from it. He knows all that was, that is, and that is to come, so there's no new sin in my little life that pops up that makes Him say, "Whoa whoa... Didn't see that coming. Yeah, I didn't cover that one." He knew before I was born how dark and dank my soul was to be, and yet while I was still sinning, He died out of love and for justice in my stead. His love truly never fails.
This is my eternal hope. My confidence. My identity. My joy. Nothing is more important than the facts above, and everything is influenced by it. By this Marvelous Light, I see.
This is who I am--from this vantage point I [try to] live, work, play, and write. Join me?
I've been encouraged by the intersection of God's justice and merciful love recently. He is a just and holy God--I'm in no way capable of entering his presence. I'm a sinful, prideful, gnarly, dirty, fallen human. If Adam and Eve hadn't have eaten the fruit in the garden, I would have. He loves me, though, so much that He provided the way for me to be with Him--His Son Jesus Christ took the punishment that my sin deserves and was separated from God in my stead. He mercifully and lovingly took the just punishment that I deserve in order that I may stand on Christ's good and spotless name. Not only that, but then Christ DEFEATED death! He arose from the grave as the victor over death, and He lives forever at the right hand of God, having paved the way for sinners like me to enter into heaven with Him. We can't do it in our power. We have to trust in Him.
The hard part is the waiting! I trust you, Lord! What are you waiting for! He whispers to me, "I have more for you to do here. I have a grand mission for my glory, and I invite you to be a part of it. Make my name famous and glorious. Be a mirror, that the sun may be reflected. I have a fantastic plan for this world, and it began before the world was even created, and it is amazing. You don't need to know the details--you need only know the steps that I show you, for you are a thread in the tapestry that illustrates the Truth of my Holiness. I invite you to take this specific next step, trusting me and honoring me as you go."
With my faith in the Lord, His Word on my heart, and His Spirit as my trusty guide, I'm moving forward, baby step by baby step. First the lesson was to trust in His Plan, ultimately for the world, and then personally for me. I'd trusted myself/relationships/knowledge/the world/anything before, and those failed me. I wasn't created to trust in those. I was created to trust the truly Trustworthy. It's a daily re-learning.
Next lesson is to trust in His Timing. He doesn't reveal that next baby step until it is time for me to take it. I must complete the current mission, learning all I need to learn, before continuing on. Sometimes I really really want to rush things along. Sometimes I wish He'd slow the mess down--I liked that peaceful meadow of a moment! Can't we hang out there for a bit? Sometimes I feel pressure from people/society to go at a different pace, even if I am confident that I'm following the Lord. It requires reliance on a strength and power very much outside of myself to make it through those pressures. Praise the Lord that He'll never give us more than He has equipped us for.
Do I still sin? Yes. Jeez, yes. Sadly, yes. Thankfully, I'm covered, once for all, by His atoning sacrifice. The more clearly I see the depths and depravity of my own heart, the more grateful I am of the Savior who has paved the way for me, even me. The more saddened I am by the stain of sin, the more sweet the saving work of Jesus. There is nothing I can do to lose His love, and there's no sin so big that He hasn't saved me from it. He knows all that was, that is, and that is to come, so there's no new sin in my little life that pops up that makes Him say, "Whoa whoa... Didn't see that coming. Yeah, I didn't cover that one." He knew before I was born how dark and dank my soul was to be, and yet while I was still sinning, He died out of love and for justice in my stead. His love truly never fails.
This is my eternal hope. My confidence. My identity. My joy. Nothing is more important than the facts above, and everything is influenced by it. By this Marvelous Light, I see.
This is who I am--from this vantage point I [try to] live, work, play, and write. Join me?
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