Stretching

Number one evidence of grace over the last couple weeks. God loves me enough to push me and stretch me in ways that I never thought possible. God loves me enough to put challenges in my life that I am completely helpless to overcome so that I have to come back to Him. God loves me enough to completely overwhelm me with burdens and trials, only so I can turn around and give them right back to Him. God loves me enough to allow me to take up His yoke and His burden and rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Though I am completely unworthy of being challenged by God and having my faith stretched and matured, God somehow has found me worthy. I realize that it is nothing of my own doing that brings about this work, but Christ in me. However, I empathize with Paul in the highest degree. The things I do I don't want to do, but the things I want to do I don't do. What a wretched man I am? Who could possibly rescue me from this body of death? Jesus (Romans 7:15-25). No matter what else is going on in my life, whether I am in a place of promised land blessing or desert struggle, it all comes back to Jesus. Jesus and His sacrifice are the manifestation of the greatest Love of all. Love from the One who IS Love. The holy, almighty, perfect, majestic, powerful God of the universe loves me and calls me His son. He has called me to share the inheritance of Christ (Romans 8:17). We are fortunate and blessed enough to share in Christ's sufferings, so that somehow we can share in his eternal glory and life (Philippians 3:10-11) (Romans 6:4-11). If that isn't evidence of grace, I don't know what is.

By the way, anyone reading this blog should read Phillip Fletcher's blog. Phillip is my pastor at Church in Oakwood and always has amazing and honest insight on the Christian life. You will get a blessing out of it.