Humbled By Grace

Reading Romans 9: 14-18, 21 and I am once again humbled by grace. "What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' It does not therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's Mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that i might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." (vs 21) "Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"
So we are once again a clump of clay. It is Gods choice to have mercy on us... we are in His hands. He chooses us and chooses to give us mercy and grace. We have been given the beautiful gift of forgiveness with the decision to follow Christ. There is no better gift than that. Giving Christ our lives is putting them in the best potters hands there is. No love is greater, no joy is better, no mercy can be given apart from that Of Jesus Christ. The world lies to us every day. No item, no job, no amount of money, no letter behind our name makes your life full of happiness and satisfaction. God has chosen us to follow him. I have been chosen!
But the question still lies out there... the world continues to ask- even Christians continue to ask- Is our God unjust? Yes we struggle with what God has for us... trials and tribulations- but is that awful to have? No! Don't challenges make us better people? Yes! Does God leave you during a trial? NO! God never will leave us nor forsake us. So from my minds perspective I see God picking up the chunk of clay (to us a trial begins), and He starts to mold out the imperfections that we obtain. The length of time we fight and pull back from what God has for us the longer it takes to be smoothed out. SO God is not unjust but Just! God is full of compassion! God is giving love unconditionally!

God's Sovereignty

Listening To Reg Grant this morning during the Spiritual Life Conference at Dallas Theological Seminary on a podcast... and was truly encouraged. It is such a blessing to know and see how sovereign our God is. The lesson was from the book of Ruth. Reg had pointed out how amazing God truly is through the story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Nothing occurs without God knowing it through and through. God intended Ruth to wander over to Boaz' fields. God intended Boaz to visit the fields that exact day. God intended Boaz to have such a kind heart towards her. God intended all of these things to happen. It wasn't a coincidence. God doesn't have coincidences. He has intention. God has intended you to be where you are. God has intended you to be surrounded by those around you to grow in your faith... whether people who believe the same as you or differently. God intended to have you where you are at. So the question is are you doubting God today? Are you making a head choice and not a heart choice to know and understand the sovereignty of God? I am sure that it means something to mentally understand but do you believe with your whole heart the God will provide, that God will protect you, that God's will is the best for your life? A mental choice isn't enough... He wants us to follow Him with our hearts. Are you believing it with your whole heart?!? I will be examining my heart for this... I will be praying that I have that belief. But most importantly that my life and actions resemble that of believing with my whole heart that God is Sovereign over my life and that I can trust in Him through everything.

The Feeling of Being Loved

Breath taking, heart racing, crazy amount of adrenaline running through your veins, squeals coming out of my mouth and my feet a dancing to my own little tune... Ok maybe this is just what happens to me. But is it not the best thing that happens to someone? I am so in love. I am amazed by what God has provided. I am head over heels, falling, love struck as i can be in love with Graham Lane. I love him. There is no other word that even comes close to the way I feel either. Songs make me realize how much i enjoy the moment of being with him. Songs make me dream of the day that I will get to be with him more than I do now. Its not like a dream come true, he is a dream come true. I have been praying for my future husband since I was in high school. Although I thought I had found some nice guys in the past, they are nothing like the man I love today. Graham is such an amazing leader, such a wonderful man, he's attentive, full of love and fear for God, he shows through his actions that he loves me beyond description. I want to do all that I can to draw him closer to the Lord, to make his dreams come true and create new ones together. I look forward to the day that I get to say Yes! and I DO! I love you Graham Lane Maxwell with all that's within me I love you.