Life of Grace

You think you're happy until one day you smile so much, your cheeks hurt. You think you rule your world until the day your world turns upside-down. You think you're faith is everything until Jesus reminds you He is everything. 

The presence of God sends chills through the tiny hairs on your arms and you learn it's the presence of your Spirit rejoicing from the inside out. You think you can do it, until God shows you how He's gonna do it. You think you have enough money, until the unexpected happens. You think you will live a full, long life until that tumor appears. 

We sure do a lot of thinking. 

The world is full of assumptions but one thing we do not have to make assumptions about is our Lord Jesus. According to the Scriptures, Christ Jesus is the Cornerstone, our strong Foundation. The Lord is our Redeemer, King, Father, Refuge, Friend, Shield, Answer, Protector and Sweetest Love. He is faithful, just, righteous, steadfast, enduring, long-suffering, gracious, merciful and mighty. In the simplest of human languages and definitions, these are the characteristics and promises of Our Savior which hardly do justice to defining an infinite God. He's so much more than we can think or imagine. 

All knowing, all seeing, all able, ever present is He. It is written, He is LORD over all. All our worry. All our fear. All our plans. All our blessings. All our bodies. All the principalities. All. He is All.

"However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 

For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." 1 Corinthians 2: 9-14 NIV

Ecclesiastes reminds us there will be times for everything in this life. As countless as the stars in the sky are the numerous variables on this side of Heaven for you to be able to figure things out and have an unshakable, fortified plan outside of living by faith, for grace, by hope, with trust and in love.. In the economy of God A + B does not always = C. But rest assured Jesus + God + Holy Spirit = Life. E v e r y  s i n g l e  time.

Whatever you are facing today, seek the Lord. With Him you will have life. With Him you will have peace and joy even through tears and questions of sufferings. He is our Healer and Counselor for all the hurts. Life is not fair or predictable. But God is. We are weak, but He is strong. Don't forget, there is an enemy working against you, to keep you from experiencing a gracious and joy-filled life. 

So, how do we live by faith and feel purposeful and ready for whatever comes our way? By spending time leaning into God, learning who He is through daily Bible reading, fellowship through Bible studies, in songs of worship, and by the testimonies of others of like-minded faith. Arming yourself with His armor and not just your plans. Knowing who God is, the One you are placing all your hopes and fears in, the greatest Love of your soul, waits ready to meet with you and reveal His love to you every day. You will find Him if you seek Him. He isn't seeking your lip service and He isn't fooled by our masks.

He is am amazing God who saves sinners by grace, who extended the Peace offering, with grace. Your sins and my sins have earned us an eternity in the lake of fire and gnashing of teeth, but by the Grace Giver our Lord, He sent His Son to pay the debt we owe and we are found in Him righteous. Wow. That's everything. We have redemption forever in Him. We have life ever lasting in Him. Today and always, we have comfort, peace, joy, purpose, in Him. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, amen! Will you choose today, to accept and live in this life of Grace?

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 

2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV

Prayer: Father God, Lord over All, we pray according to the Scriptures we may be found faithful in You..."Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. 

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also." 

2 Corinthians 6: 4-13 NIV May it be so, amen. Here is where we live, not in the black and white, rather Where Faith is. 

Worship in Song here: 

OUCH!

OUCH is right!! Boy did that one hurt! And yes, that IS a black eye, not make-up! (I actually received a lot of compliments on how great I looked with my "new make-up!" lol) This was my very first black eye. As soon as I fell, I felt the pain swelling up in me...literally!! It hurt. It was obvious. My eye and cheek began to swell immediately eventhough upon the initial impact it was flesh colored. As days went by, the swelling and pain diffused and it began to look more normal and eventually did heal. The array of colors lasted longer than the pain, praise GOD!!!!

That was back in 2009. The picture below was taken just last week and guess what....injury to the face, again. Adjusting some handlebars on my daughter's bike popped me good. Nope, no black eye...it wasn't hard enough to even cause an uproar or change colors but it sure hurt! I am the only one that feels the pain and noticed the tiny bit of swelling it caused. As recent as yesterday, it was tender to apply my foundation over it. 

That's how it is with hurts. Some are obvious and while others go unnoticed to those around us. Everyone can see obvious injuries but many little injuries go unseen. There was just no way for me to hide that peacock of an eye I had. I could only attempt to camouflage it with make-up and hair. Today, no problem, just a little extra powder, hair parted off to the side and sunglasses...good to go!

This was a good reminder for me today:

People are hurting (including this smiling face sometimes) all around us. 
Be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to interceed on their behalf through encouragement, prayer, help. Last week was a really tough week for me and a friend of mine walked up to me at church handing me a Panera Gift Card and said, "God put you on my heart this week and wanted me to encourage you." I cannot tell you what that meant to me. That my friend was being sensitive to the whispers of God. That she cared enough about me to follow thru. And that God cared enough and was saying "Yes Michele, I am here." 

Hurts come in all shapes and colors.
No hurt, betrayal, grief, pain, stress looks the same for one person, much less everyone. If God allows our pains as a testing of our faith, or a refining and pruning or maybe even a discipline, then in wisdom and faith, we can confidently cling to the hope that He is with us as we walk through the fire. There is a greater glory coming than this temporary suffering.

It takes time to heal.
I know, me too. We are hurt and we want to make the hurt stop asap!! However, if everything has purpose, then we cannot assume we are going to have a life of no pain. Our Lord who is perfect and blameless even endured suffering and pain. Not everything can be solved with a bandaid and a little oil. One time prayer may not be enough. We may have to uncover/reveal our hurt in order to process in a healthy way. We may have to get on our knees before the Lord day after day, week after week and maybe even year after year. Healing is a process as diverse as the colors in the spectrum. Until we finish that process till completion (whatever God has planned), it's going to be tender. But again, we can rest assured that He sees us, He is with us, healing is coming. Our ultimate healing and restoration will come in the throne-room of Heaven.

Action steps:
Give Grace. To yourself as you walk through the process of healing. To others who may have hidden hurts as they walk through their healing process.

Give. Just give whatever it is God tells you to give, to whomever God tells you to give, including to yourself. We can be our own worst sabotager. When you're not sure what to give, you can never go wrong with the gift of prayer!!


"Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5: 2-5

"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door." James 5:7-9

Thank You Lord God, my Healer, Redeemer, my Refuge, my Savior and Friend. Your touch quenches these dry bones. Restore us to Your glory. Forgive us Lord when we doubt Your plan and question Your promises. Deepen our faith and trust in You. We praise Your Name and we believe that we have healing and joy through the Blood that covers us and fills us. In Your Perfect and Faithful Name, amen.