Grace to the Humble

Grace to the Humble

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.’ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.- James 4:6-7.

Blinders, bandages over our eyes, can shut out the light. Pride is one of the strongest. It opens the door for many other blinders, like prejudice, rejection, and offense. It is the one to watch out for the most because it hinders humility, which is necessary for the manifestation of the grace of God.

Pride is an unwillingness to humble ourselves, to say we have been wrong, or to take something back; To think more of the glory of man, others and our own, than of the glory of God; To walk more before man than before God; To care more about what others think than God. Pride caused satan’s fall, so he tries to use it the same way in our lives.God gives grace to the humble!

Since humility is our safeguard, we pursue it daily when we commune with the Lord. Our love for Him and our submission to His Lordship enables us to resist the devil and cause him to flee. We pray He reveals and heals our prideful ways by His spirit. As we welcome His cleansing, we rest in Him, from glory to glory.   

Fully Forgiven?

Fully Forgiven?

You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore, I say to you her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.- Luke 7:46-47 

How can God love us after all the wrong we have done? Does He really forgive us? What if we do something else, think the wrong things, say the wrong words, or make the wrong decisions? Is the love of God truly unconditional? We have pondered many of these questions. We grasp the answers to the extent we rest in the Lord.

God does not forgive us because we are suddenly good. He forgives us because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. As we believe this truth, we walk in newness of life. When we have been forgiven of much, we love much. The conviction that comes when we fall short draws us closer to the Lord and causes us to love Him even more. We don’t confess our sins to earn forgiveness, but to walk in the freedom we have in Christ. 

As we walk in our transformation, others may not forgive us for our past mistakes or judge us today because of our yesterdays. Knowing the victory and freedom we have in Christ helps us remain free from needing other’s approvals or affirmations. We can forgive ourselves because God has forgiven us. We stand in awe of the finished work on the cross, from glory to glory!

Beat Defeat!

Beat Defeat!

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? – 1 John 5:4-5 NKJV

The way to beat defeat is to remember the victory we already have in Christ Jesus, our Lord, Savior, Deliverer, and King. Our faith in who Jesus is and what He has conquered enables us to overcome defeat. We are in a spiritual war, so whatever we battle needs to be fought in the spirit and by the Spirit of God. Through our faith in Christ, we are more than conquerors!

Some people feel defeated because they cannot conquer a weakness in their lives. The more they try, the more defeated they become. Others feel defeated because a goal they have been pursuing keeps coming to a stop. A relationship someone keeps believing will work out continues to break apart. Defeat brings condemnation, guilt and a haunting sense of failure.

We beat defeat by doing what the spirit of defeat doesn’t want us to do: yield to the empowerment of the Spirit of God and take another step of faith. The Holy Spirit releases a second wind, an ability to arise out of the ashes of failure. An anointing to give something another try or try a whole new thing. Reach for victory over a weakness, believing that in God, we are victorious, from glory to glory!

Lord, Help me!

Lord, Help me!

But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’  But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’ – Mat. 15:23-25 NKJV

Rejected by the disciples, by the society of that day because she was a gentile, regarded with low esteem as a woman, receiving no answer from Jesus, she fell at His feet and worshiped Him! Not only did she worship Him, but she also cried out, “Lord, help me!” She didn’t give up. That’s never an option when we believe in the promises of God. Nothing could stop her, and nothing should stop us.

Faith in the Lord stirs up worship regardless of the circumstances. By faith, we press through rejection, offenses, and any opposition, with a heart of worship. Even when God seems to be silent. Lord, you are holy, mighty, faithful, and awesome. I love and worship you. Lord, I believe!

We war with our worship. Satan used to lead worship before his fall. He cannot dwell where we do what He no longer can do. Our adoration to the Lord lifts heaviness and burdens. Thoughts of defeat, hopelessness, and fear leaves. Worship flows on the wings of faith. Peace and joy overflows. Angels sing. We will not give up, but worship, from glory to glory!

Immeasurable Love

Immeasurable Love

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph. 3:17-19 NKJV

Not only is God’s love unconditional, it is immeasurable. This scripture tells us to comprehend it, to know it, yet it passes knowledge. The more we know this love, the more we find there is more to know. His immeasurable love is behind all He is. We feel unworthy of it because of who we are. Our worth cannot measure his love; His love gives us worth.

We measure what God has done against who we are. We might think it’s too much. What we are feeling subconsciously is I am not enough.Our insecurities quench our receiving from God. It tempts us to look at ourselves instead of Him. 

We cannot find reasons to deserve such love, and even when we think we find one, it’s not valid. Our relationship with Jesus Christ rests in this unconditional, immeasurable love and does not question: “Maybe He loved me, but does He still? Does He love me today? Will He love me tomorrow? As we grow in the knowledge of His love, His fullness fills us. We come short yet reach more and more of His love, from glory to glory.  

Unconditional Love

Unconditional Love

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. – 1 John 4:9-10 NKJV

God’s love is behind all He does and is unconditional. No strings attached. No obligations. Nothing in return. We love Him because He first loved us, not in order for Him to love us. God so loved the world that He gave Jesus His only begotten son. It is as we believe and receive the love of God, the love behind the gift, that we unwrap all that is Jesus Christ. 

We might think, “God loves me as long as I do this. He doesn’t love me anymore because I did that.” When we look at what we do or don’t do to determine whether God loves us, we rob ourselves of the rest, peace, and joy His love brings. It causes us to fall into religion, self-righteousness instead of relationship. We question our safety in Him and expect His rejection instead of His grace.

Receiving the forgiveness of God enables us to walk in this love. We do not forgive ourselves as we ought. Any level of unforgiveness hinders us from our walking in God’s love. It also brings fear, which only perfect love can cast out. His love never fails! We behold this amazing, everlasting love, from glory to glory!