Grace

Those of us who have been rescued by God -- have nothing to prove.

We can call sin what it is because our sin has been paid for, cared for.  We rest in who we are and what God has accomplished for us.

This is a perfect "good Friday" blog - right?  

Today -- I am struggling.  

The struggle between the Spirit of God and evil has been warring since before
God spun the planets.
 This is the universal problem:  the Spirit of Life and peace versus the law of sin and death.


But what about when it does not seem like it is  evil...

It is just a bad day at work.
It is just an argument that was left unresolved.

It was just something said in the HEAT of the moment and in the anger that now has you spinning -- and on a different course.....


I read this:  

We categorize our sin in a grand gesture to feel better about ourselves.  To feel better about out lives.  When in fact, God really does not care about the particular sin we love -- HE wants us to see that we sin and he wants us to see we are helpless without Him.    - Jennie Allen

Isaiah 53.6

All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned -- every one -- to his own way: and the LORD has laid on ( Christ ) the iniquity of us all.  

Today is Good Friday -- Christ used 'this' day -- to take it ALL.  

Where are you today?
Where am I?

I am interceding in prayer -- there is a loved, dear one about to go under the knife -- cancer -- another tumor.
I am interceding in prayer -- there is a heart, so broken right now and I can't help her.
I am interceding in prayer -- there is another whose husband has abandoned her and she is has to learn to totally LEAN on Jesus and allow Him to be her husband.
I am interceding in prayer -- for my own stuff.
And  just when I claim that I am 'good'....more stuff happens.  It just does.


As I continue to seek God and seek to understand Him and His plans, I know His plans for me are good.

I know there is NO condemnation for THOSE in Christ Jesus according to His Word in Romans 8 but when we are attacked .....it certainly feels like we are condemned.

As I grow in Christ and walk in Faith with Him -- He changes every relationship and He even removes relationships.   He changes how we spend our time, He changes our motives, even our passions.  He changes how we live and where  we will spend eternity.  He strips us of performing and pretending and lays us bare...

...fully aware of our NEED for HIM.

While it is costly and even threatening -- is is what we were designed for!   

If we trust God -- we are forgiven.
If we confess our sins -- we are forgiven.
If we seek God -- He will answer.


Today as I have been praying and wanting to blog, Micah 6.8 continues to ring clear in my brain.
Seek Justice, love Mercy, walk humbly with our  God.


So with that -- I MUST extend GRACE....to the one that really hurt me recently,
I must extend GRACE to the ones that I am extending prayer for....and trust that God is at work.
I must extend GRACE to myself -- that I can mess up too.
I must extend GRACE!

I can't always be perfect, nor know what to say or what to blog, or even how to pray -- but by HIS Grace.....and His mercy..... and with His Word......

Proverbs 3.34 says:   Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.


God was - is --so GOOD to us, despite our sin.  He was merciful to us and gave us Jesus to make us right with HIM.

Obedience turns into a response to the love of our God - rather than a duty to perform for Him.

Let's move from focusing on our need ....or prayer request...or on our hurt..... and fix our eyes on the FACE of God.  He changes everything.

Being humble  = being fully occupied with God.


Luke 6: 28-30  
Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.  


Anger is our reaction to when we feel our rights are being taken away from us.  We get angry about not getting what we think we deserve.   -- But God is calling us to die to those rights.

This is the crazy part - we are to LOVE those who hate us.  It is radical and insane.  We are to be giving to those who don't appreciate it.

..........and that  grace can  be given  --- even when  our husbands --when out of anger and  out of their own issues they lash out at us--
.........and that grace can be given to a friend that does not see eye to eye with us --
......and that grace can be given to an adult child who has made very poor choices --
.......and that grace can be given to the lost, right next to us --


Lord, may the one that reads this understand that being broken before you is a good thing.....it allows You to become more in their lives.  Lord, may the one reading this, including me, seek forgiveness for whatever needs be and that they would also extend forgiveness, including me when out of anger words fly.  Lord, You carried a cross for me on 'this' day so many years ago and took ALL of my sin.  Lord, You are calling us, calling me to surrender what is not of you and take up our cross .

Lord, I want the freedom found in allowing You to defend me, even IF I don't see it until heaven. 
Lord, I want to accept that life is not right and fair now, but it will be. 
Lord, I want to love instead of defending or fearing or fighting. 
Lord, I pray that I will freely give and not have a sense of entitlement. 
Lord, I pray that as I embrace my faults -- rathe than prove my points or defend myself.  
Lord, I pray and release others' perceptions and understandings of me and I pray that I would HOLD onto Your understandings of me -- since You know my heart! 
And Lord, I embrace the death of my 'rights' and desires -- and receive Your will in my life.  Lord, I trust You.  I trust the past few days leading up to - today -- have been all apart of Your will and plan.  A plan not only for me - but for those around me and for the total stranger READING this right now -- may they Seek Justice, Love Mercy, and humbly walk with You as their God.  And Lord, that they would extend Grace......

In Jesus name, Amen.  

Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"  
Matthew 16: 24-26