Embracing God's Grace
As we celebrate a long Memorial Day Weekend here in the States, let us be mindful of those whose sacrifices allow us the freedoms we have today. Take time to remember those who serve, have served and especially those who gave their lives that we may enjoy the blessings we so often take for granted.
“The memory of the righteous [is] blessed,” Proverbs 10:7 NKJV
As I read this morning the word hope jumped out at me. It has haunted me lately in the words I hear and things I read.
I consider myself a rather positive person, trying to see the best in people and situations. I’ve learned to trust and realize that God often uses the worst situations to bring out the best in people.
I have had faith. But hope…I’m not so sure.
I’ve been faith filled that God will resolve my problems, predicaments or whatever I’m dealing with yet it I think I’ve managed to do so without being hopeful.
Merriam Webster defines hope as to “cherish a desire with anticipation.” Cherish is defined “to feel or show great love.”
Faith on the other hand is “belief and trust in God.”
I have believed and trusted God but I haven’t always “cherished with desire” and certainly not in a loving manner in regards to some of the changes I would like to see.”
Sadly, frustration with various circumstances can leave me far from loving.
It is easy for me to believe God can do whatever needs to be done, but today I realize I have not anticipated His deliverance with “great love.”
Desperation?
Maybe.
Love?
Not so much.
I wonder if some of the changes I’d like to see would come about if I not only believed God can change them but I acknowledged with hope that He loves me enough to change them?
I have had ample trust enough to survive varied circumstances, yet I’ve failed sometimes to be hopeful with the expectation to thrive beyond them!
What an eye opener for me this morning when Jennifer over at I Give God all the Glory passed along Psalms 33 for me to read. In particular, Psalm 33:20-22 set off an alarm in my head.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,
Just as we hope in You.
Trust and hope. 
I always thought faith was enough. But now…
I love my kids. I know I am pleased when one of my boys trusts me and expects something good is going to happen. I like it when they trust me and know I’ve moved beyond whatever mistakes they made and they can anticipate a gift I wrapped for them is going to be something they have “hoped” for.
Wouldn’t our Father be just as pleased?
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 1:13 NKJV
Abide these three.
Maybe hope is what I’ve been missing all along…
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 1 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV
“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint” Isaiah 40:31 NKJV
As I was in the yard today, a beautiful hawk flew overhead. The first time it flew over me I was in such awe I forgot I had a camera hanging around my neck. I told God how beautiful it was and He sent it back to me not once but twice!
Usually when I hear hawks, I must search for them to get the shot.
But I didn’t have to do that today.
It came to me.
This was a great reminder that sometimes the things we long for, pray for and even struggle for, God will send to us.
We don’t always have to chase them!
I’m very much a work hard and earn it kind of gal. I try to instill that ethic into my teenagers. Yet, sometimes I can become so blinded by the work mentality, I don’t give myself adequate room to receive God’s grace.
Today’s hawk reminded me we don’t earn the grace God gives us. He freely sends it our way. Sometimes we can become so fixated on a painful past we fail to envision the new thing God is trying to give us!
I have managed to provide my kids with the things they need. However, I also enjoy surprising my kids with the things they want. This is especially true when they work hard or give something their all.
I don’t know why is it often so hard to grasp that our Father is willing to do the same for us as well? When we seek God, we please God.
I’ve tried harder lately to seek God so I can see God all around me. This has not become a chore or a “to do” but rather treasured time that has given me more than I ever imagined.
So, two weeks ago when God gave me an unexpected gift, I embraced it.
I won a prize in a writing contest. I did not ask a million questions. I did not over think it. I just said “thank you.” The prize offered a solution to a dilemma I’d been pondering for nearly two years! My prize was a gift of favor and it was also a gift of encouragement.
Then last week God gave me another gift.
I’d lost something a while back and decided to just be grateful for all the other blessings in my life. I was determined not to focus on what I lost.
But God gave it back to me.
Unexpectedly.
Miraculously.
God offers a season of favor after a season of struggle. Just as spring follows winter, new life, new hopes and new opportunities follow our cold winters and harsh storms.
Yet, if we become accustomed to the struggle of the storm, especially a lengthy battle, we may fail to embrace the warmth that ushers in new life.
Our storms never displace the sun. It is the Son/sun that dries up our rain.
We’d all do well to abide sometimes instead of constantly strive.
Allow yourself that undeserved grace.
Fuel your faith like never before.
Wait and see what God brings to you…
Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
Isaiah 30:18 NKJV
It dawned on me just recently why I love spring so much. I certainly enjoy the beauty of flowers and fresh green leaves. Warmer temperatures are also a plus. Yet, since I’ve learned to make gardening less of a chore and more of a joy, it is the promise for new life that makes me appreciate spring the most.
One of my favorite southern staples is the hydrangea. I love it because in most varieties, new life for each spring comes from its dead wood. I’ve found the same is true with some of my roses. The dead wood is the skeletal remains left when the first freeze zaps those green leaves right off. Without the leaves, my plants look less suited for the garden and more apt for a haunted house.
I learned the hard way that when the dead wood was cut, there would be no blooms that spring. Green leaves eventually emerged, but no flowers.
Not even one.
Those awful looking dead stalks laid bare by the cold of winter are necessary for later blooms!
If God does that much for my garden, how much more is He doing for me?
Our dead wood can produce new life as well. Those times when we feel like we’ve been stripped bare actually teach us what we need to manage our new beginnings. I believe it is far easier for us to appreciate some facets of life after we’ve experienced loss. Our “dead” situations can impart wisdom, compassion and knowledge that we can later access when God ressurects our dry bones!
I’ve experienced a few “resurrections” for which I am very grateful. There were times I felt dead, dry and brittle. I probably looked the part as well. It felt like my “winter” would last forever. But I clung to hope and continued to pray. I’ve since learned the absence of a “yes” isn’t’ necessarily a “no.”
Sometimes God’s silence simply means, “Not now.”
I think some of us become so disheartened with our defeats/death that we lose hope for future blooms and fruit yet to come. So much in the garden has to “die” before it can ever produce again. There are things in each of us that must die if we are ever to grasp hold of the blessings our Father would give us.
If you have a “dead” situation or simply feel like all the life has been sapped out of you, fear not! Our God specializes in resurrecting the dead. With God, there is always hope for a new and victorious life.
Even here on earth.
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. John 12:24 NKJV.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 NKJV
“This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life,” Psalm 119:50 NKJV
God’s Word resurrects us. It combats fear and despair. His Word provides hope for tomorrow. It fuels our faith. The Word of God is our defense against the cruelties of this world. It allows us to endure. We can exist without God’s Word but we will be void of His comfort, peace and joy, not at all as God intended.
Spring blooms are beautiful but short-lived. The blossoms are often celebrated. Yet, it is actually the leaves that are vital for the growth of the tree. The leaves provide nourishment and rejuvenate the tree long after the blooms are gone. God’s Word sustains us and allows us to flourish even as the “beauty” fades away!
Achievements and promotions herald our personal seasons of “spring.” We can make gains toward reaching a goal or realizing a dream. Our accomplishments are like “blossoms” in our lives adding beauty and joy.
However, promotion and blessings can bring with them new tests and even temptations. The Word of God offers wisdom, stability and direction. His Word promotes humility, love and charity. God’s Word combats pride, arrogance and greed.
I’m looking forward to spring in my life. I don’t doubt it may bring a few challenges as well. Yet, when I immerse myself in God’s Word, I am confident I can pass those tests that will eventually leave me blessed!
What about you?
But He said, “More than that, blessed [are] those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:28 NKJV
But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” Luke 4:4 NKJV
I enjoy watching birds, especially in the mornings while I eat breakfast. There is one red cardinal in particular who always escapes my camera. There is a wide array of wrens, thrashers and finches. The robins are new this year. I even think starlings have nested on my roof. All in all, my yard birds pretty much eat and live in harmony.
And then there are the blue jays.
Their arrival always seems to cause a ruckus of some sort. The normal chirps and chatter quickly morph into screeches and clamor with their visits. Yesterday was no different. However, this time I was able to view the scuffle first hand.
The mockingbird is not a glamorous bird. It’s not brightly colored or even sings its own song. I refer to them as the town criers. They are always chirping about something. They are noisy. And nosey. No other bird bothers to come over and inspect what I’m doing in the yard. Yet, I will give them credit for one thing, they don’t back down from a fight.
I’ve watched mocking birds chase away birds three times their size. I’ve watched mockingbirds dive bomb a cat too close to its nest. I’ve even had to duck one or two in my day. They are fearless.
I watched for nearly half an hour as two mockingbirds chased two blue jays and essentially tossed them of my yard. They never tired or gave up. It gave me pause to wonder, why don’t we fight like that?
Do we really fight hard enough to keep our peace and cut stress inducing conflict from our lives?
How about fighting to protect our kids from harmful influences even when those very things are deemed the norm?
I’ve had to fight to protect the progress I’ve made in certain areas of my life. Sometimes it takes all we have not to fall backwards into old attitudes and habits.
I’ve fought to forgive and I readily admit it wasn’t easy!
I’ve come to learn that to obtain those things that truly bless us, we will in some way have to fight for them. We may have to fight for a better education. A job. We might fight to keep our family together. We may even have to battle an illness.
There are times we must fight people to keep them from stifling us. There are times we are forced to fight the enemy and not be deceived. At others, we must fight ourselves and every inclination to accept second best. And yes, there are even times we wrestle with God!
There is often some manner of “fight” that precedes a blessing.
If you ever watch a butterfly fight its way out of the cocoon, it often looks like it’s not going to make it. By the time it falls out wet and wrinkled, it looks like it has lost the battle. But moments later after a brief rest, it eventually stretches out its wings and takes flight!
We must learn to look past the fight and toward the flight!
If you’ve fallen, get back up!
Fight like your life depends on it because it does. It won’t always be a fair fight, but with God on our side, we can finish our race and finish well!
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV
And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Genesis 32:28 NKJV
Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,[ and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Matthew 28:1-6 NKJV
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 NIV
Give up self-sufficiency
Give in to Christ and be set free
God knows our faults, yet loves us still
Our hurts and pains are His to heal
Give up your sorrows, give up your fears
Look back no more on your lost years
Give up dwelling on past mistakes
Enjoy life! Give yourself a break!
Look up to God, enjoy His wealth
Give up the focus on yourself.
Christ paid the price that we may live
Eternal life is God’s to give
Our spirits ache and yearn for God
Accept His gift, it’s not that hard
Don’t die a death brought on by stress
You’ve tried all else; Trust God, Be Blessed!
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13 NIV
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests the hearts Proverbs 17:1 NKJV
Harsh winds blew this butterfly sideways. Yet, it hung on.
And we should too.
We all have some preconceived notion about how much stress we think we can bear. Most of us are reluctant to endure anything beyond what is absolutely necessary.
However, God knows our greatest potential. In order to unlock the best within us, we must often endure some trials that will inevitably strengthen and prepare us for what lies ahead.
What you may perceive as a loss—divorce, bankruptcy, unemployment or failed relationships may actually prepare you for a brighter future. The ability to withstand the stress of life’s disappointments is the same discipline required to enjoy life’s blessings without becoming consumed by them.
A prospering business or active family is very much a blessing. But each comes with its own share of challenges and responsibilities. The ability to bend without breaking or walk through fire comes with maturity and experience gained not in the good times but in the bad.
A nail is hammered into place to keep things together. The hammering makes the nail effective and allows it to serve its purpose.
As much as it hurts, our hammering shapes us as well.
It can build us up from the inside out or we can allow it to beat us down.
Character, endurance, and faith are tested and strengthened when we learn how to withstand trials, not avoid them.
Through Christ we can endure whatever we are forced to face and come out stronger than we ever dared imagine.
God’s grace is sufficient.
Endure the stress, and pass your tests!
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 NIV
B Is for Blessed! 