REJOICE! ALL He Gives is GRACE!

How selfish I am!
Ungrateful.
Encased in my own, little, opaque shell.

In these last few days the Lord has allowed more of the "veil" to be removed from my eyes. He has shown me my sin and He is enabling me to repent.

After posting my little ditties the other day, I really did go outside for a jog.
Thinking and writing out those thoughts helped me to identify where I was in sin, where I needed to repent, and the love of the Lord.

PRAISE THE LORD!

(With no sarcasm,) I thank Him for sunshine, water, James Brown, a working body, good theology, scientific understanding, His resurrection, my salvation, and MaryMary.

I started my jog with James Brown’s “Get Up Offa That Thing.” Heading towards the water, I had the beautiful (65*) sun shining down on me, and thoughts of the Lord were flooding my mind.

“Get up offa that thing and shake and you’ll feel better.” (GOOD STUFF!)

Who gave me this ability?!
I was filled with praise for Him.

After jogging through a couple other songs I came to MaryMary’s song. Not that it's a theologically STRONG song, but the main jist is that while you have the ability -- move and praise the Lord! The song says, "'Don't you know you'" (others reply,) "'Got the victory!'" And they go back and forth calling these phrases to each other.

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

HE IS ALIVE! He has given me salvation! He has given me this day!! Whoohoo!! [I began to jog/walk/groove. Perhaps a bit too energetically for these mid-westerners, but I was filled with the praises of Jesus! (Don’t worry…I wasn’t really cra-ZY.)]

But it suddenly dawned upon me, the Son evaporates the fog.

I might feel as if my existence is currently surrounded by a thick blanket of fog, but WHO CARES?!

What am I WHINING about?!
People are dying of cancer, hunger, various other diseases, abuse, are being persecuted, are despairing of life...and I am whining because I want to KNOW IT ALL?!

Who is my Guide?!
Psalm 48
“GREAT is the Lord and GREATLY to be PRAISED…As we have heard, so we have seen…According to Your name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is FULL of righteousness. […] For THIS is GOD, OUR God forever and ever; HE will be OUR guide EVEN to DEATH.”

What has my Guide given to me?
2nd Peter 1:3, “as His divine power has given to us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness.”
Philippians 4:19, “and my God shall SUPPLY all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
(Along with: Ephesians 1, 1st Thessalonians 4,2nd Corinthians 5 AND 15, Romans 8, Hebrews 10-12, et. al.)

When I question and worry I am saying that’s not good enough. I am saying He hasn’t given enough. I am saying His plans aren’t wise enough.

Atrocious, despicable, disgusting, rebellious, SIN.

Indeed, He has given me TODAY.

TODAY He has given me His breath, His grace, His Son, the hope of heaven, a body that can walk/jog/skip/jump/dance around the lake, He has allowed me to live next to a LAKE!!!!
He has provided rain when my soul needed refreshing. He has provided friends when I felt alone. He has provided laughter so I can release joy.

He is RISEN.
Wow.

He IS risen.
Hallelujah.

HE is risen.
Amazing.

The Great God of the Universe chose to die. This same God rose from the dead on the third day after being buried. This SAME One who created LIFE and then subjected Himself to DEATH has chosen me as a vessel for His glory!!!!! (When He could have used me as a vessel for His wrath.)


This humbled me.

What a miniscule and un-mattering creature I am.

Do I protest against the great God?
Do I want to know what tomorrow will bring so I can plan my days?

Haughty arrogance.

Oh praise the Lord that would allow Himself to be KNOWN by His creatures!
Praise the Lord who disciplines His children!
Praise the Lord who cannot be discovered unless He reveals Himself.
Praise God who cannot be destroyed by man.
Praise the Lord whose voices is so powerful it brings the mountains and trees to destruction!
Praise the Lord who has chosen to reveal His grace, patience, mercy, longsuffering to us.
Praise the Lord who is just, who is holy, who does execute wrath on His enemies.

His ways are above our ways and past our finding out.

Praise Him for allowing me to go out on that jog and realize some of these things. (May I now attack my sin with more vigor as I CAPTURE those sinful thoughts and make them obedient to Jesus.)

James 4
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a VAPOR that appears for a little time and then VANISHES AWAY."

Come sinners! REJOICE - setting our eyes on JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him, ENDURED the cross, despising the shame, and now sits at the right hand of the throne of God.

Can I get an AMEN?!
Hallelujah!