Over and over again the words of Christ bring hope and liberation to the human heart. He came to set the captives free- free from ourselves, from striving, from legalism, and from death. The grace of Christ breathes life to those who look to Him for help. He speaks to us beautiful things and promises of new life. He is the fountain of life itself, that bubbles up to an overflowing of Living Water. The power of Christ is so great that He can take the darkest, ugliest, and most burnt piece of human life and make something new and beautiful out of it.
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end"- Ecclesiastes 3:11.
Last spring, I was part of a worship afterglow where students and staff were waiting on the Lord. One amazing woman of God spoke a vision she saw. She saw a burnt ground filled with ashes. A bright green seedling was pushing up from the harsh ground. The new life she saw was beautiful.
Though God allows fires to blaze through our lives, He is perfectly faithful to bring new life again- in His way and for His glory. God's grace is so powerful that this course of events is not something we can manufacture, but only something we can trust Him for, wait on, and receive. At one time I could barely hope this to be true, but now I see it to be real.
There is such freedom and strength in this verse: "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."- 1 Thess. 5:23-24.
God continues to work in us the ministry of surrender. This invokes a growing trust that Jesus has the best in store. I must continually surrender my will and accept the Father's best for my life. May we welcome His will and desires in this New Year. In meditating on God's heart for this New Year, He spoke one word to me: beautiful. And he reminded me of the vision I mentioned above. All He said was beautiful, and that is so much more than enough to hear!
Have a joyful New Year, and may you experience the surpassing beauty of God as His grace pours out on you and yours in 2014!
"And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands."- Psalm 90:17
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands."- Psalm 90:17
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