Today I’m grateful for the unmerited favor the God has shown to me. I’ve been living in a dark whole for many months and though I know that God was with me in that whole, today the light was visible. It was like I was lost in a dark forest, unable to find my way out and today finally the light shown thorough the branches of the trees.
Where there was once despair there is now hope. I’m back in God’s Word, after being away for more than four months, which has filled me with such joy, hope, inspiration, a kick in the butt (greatly needed), grace, and blessings beyond measure. Today’s readings have not only reminded me of God’s grace, and hope but the truth that He is always there and so is His Word and the richness there of.
During my times of depression when it was all I could do to get up watch TV, figure something out to eat and take care of my dog, there were times when I knew God was with me. Most of the time I had to take that as a step of faith, that God was still there no matter how alone I felt, occasionally and these where rare but I’m oh so grateful for them, there were times when I could actually feel His embrace. It was in those times that my faith was faltering that God was so kind as to shore up my faith and bless my wounded heart with the warmth of His embrace. It is something I will never forget or take for granted. Maybe it’s a sign of my own weakness that He came to me in such a physical way but weakness or not He knew what I needed at that very moment. I was all alone and desperate and needed to feel loved. I’m not saying that I’m anyone special because of that embrace, honestly more likely I’m someone less special. I would love to say that my faith is so strong that I don’t doubt or cry out to God to show Himself, but sadly that is not the case.
In this area and in many other areas God is molding me and making me into the Christian that He would have me be. Some days I’m a more willing piece of clay than others and because of that I’m so grateful for His grace. I would love to say that I meet my trials with courage, fortitude and a strong faith, but more often than not I fail, fall to the ground, stay there a while and then figure it out to call on God to help me out.
This piece of clay is not only hard, so it needs a lot of water and pressure from the Potter, it also has far too dry parts that need to be removed completely in order to work the clay properly. The more the Potter works with this clay the more evident the hard dried out pieces become and the painful process of removal must take place. Thankfully even with these pieces the Potter has not given up on this piece of clay.
If you’re like me and have your off days as well as your on fire days. Take hope in the fact that God’s grace (unmerited favor) is limitless. His love is unconditional as long as you are His child. So, if you haven’t accepted what Christ did for you on the cross, which was paying the penalty for all our sins and that penalty is death, ask forgiveness of your sins (anything short of perfection), accept what Christ did on the cross for you and ask Him to come into your life and help you life the kind of life He wants you to live. It’s as easy as that to become a child of God.
Joy's Words of Encouragement 