All of Grace

This evening I went to coffee with a friend. I ordered decaf, but my body is telling me it wasn’t decaf. So even though I should be asleep and want to be asleep, I’m not asleep. :(

My two weeks off from ministry to spend focused time with the Lord is coming to a close. It has been full of ups and downs, but the Lord is so gracious to reveal to me several things and to refocus my heart and attention on Him. For this I am very thankful. This refocusing is something I knew I desperately needed and knew that I wouldn’t be able to do on my own. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

The questions from the Lord over these past few months have been sharp and pointed:

Where is your faith? (Luke 8:25) You were running well, who hindered you? (Galatians 5:7) Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40)

The Lord has been exhorting me to stand firm and be steadfast in Him (1 Corinthians 15:58), and to not lose heart, but to look to the things that are unseen (2 Corinthians 4:16-18), which is what I have not been doing. I have been severely distracted by the situations and circumstances and sin that so pervade my life personally and so pervade this world in general. But the Lord is helping me to throw that all to the side (Hebrews 12:1-2) and to cast my burdens on Him (Psalm 55:22; Matthew 11:28-30). He is setting my heart free.

I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! Psalm 119:32

Jesus Christ is very kind and very patient. He has been showing me during these past two weeks how much I am not trusting Him. But through it all, He has been sustaining me by His grace. It is true that the whole of Christian life is all of grace. He chose me by His grace. He saved me by His grace. And He keeps me and will keep me to the end by His grace. This is very good news (and the gospel means good news) because I have seen in myself the inability to keep myself. I have seen the horror of my own unfaithfulness. BUT He is faithful even when I am not (2 Timothy 2:13) and He is more than able to keep me from falling and failing (Jude 24-25).

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. John 10:27-28