Although the title is not that original… This has been on my heart lately. In my personal devotions it has been the main theme! Then today Pastor got up and preached about “Jesus in a Garage Sale”. You would have to get the tape to understand – But basically the thought (in my mind) was keep Jesus precious!!! Don’t let the way that you change – change how you see Jesus. I have to say that it really touched me.

The other day I picked up the Word and began to read about Job… there are times that I think “hey!! Hellloooooo God!!! Where are you?? What are you doing?? What is going on here??” And I can find myself having a pity party about the situation I am in. So I finally got sick of feeling sorry for myself and read about Job. My “woes” are NOTHING compared to what he went through! As bad as it may get I still have a loving husband who is kind and prays for me. He doesn’t shun me and say well God just doesn’t love you anymore Danelle – Lets give up and never go back to church. I have a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat… I am truly blessed!

So I was reading and then I came across several verses that really stuck with me (some of this is paraphrased)  - While Job was pleading his case to his “friends” he mentioned several times “If only someone would give me a hearing” If only someone would listen to me plead my case! I would sign my deeds on a poster, sign my name to it and walk around town! If only Someone would give a hearing!  Let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless— Well pity party or not … this definitely got me to thinking… I DO NOT want my deeds written on a post for the whole world to see!!!  I began to feel conviction pierce my heart… I am not nearly as “righteous” as Job, so why do I get a self-righteous attitude?  I don’t even compare to him!  In my mind I think like Psalms 5 ” My sin is EVER before me”.

So after that I began to think about the grace of God … It is only because of his great love and his sacrifice that I can even speak his name! Much less come into his presence! I began to hum the tune of Amazing Grace… And to actually feel that it WAS still amazing!! I may have lost sight of it for a while… May have taken it for granted .. may have not really wanted to think about it… But when I took the time to THINK and Remember everything that grace has kept me from… Well, how can it NOT be amazing!? It’s like Pastor said today – do you see Jesus so often that you start to not really Him? I don’t want to be that person.  I want to take the time to remember! Take the time to really SEE Him!

I have got to have grace! I have got to have mercy! If I don’t …. I am hopeless. Sometimes I wonder if people really think that about themselves and their lives… You can’t fall back on talent – Not to mention, you only have talent because God gave it to you. Do we really believe that we are nothing without God? Really? Do we really believe that Grace is still amazing? Or is it just a song we sing but have no testimony of that grace? Is grace and mercy “old hat”… Heaven forbid that we go about our daily lives and no one even thinks that we might be a Christian… I want God to shine in every part of my life and I want to work for him and do what he wants… I want to be busy in his kingdom… But I don’t want to lose sight of His Grace!  Amazing Grace is Still Amazing!!!

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