I cannot fathom the grace of God. I am quite quick to immediately slap labels on God as to how and in what capacities He can work. I am almost scared after opening my Bible this morning--the Scripture was just teeming with a life and vitality that was jumping off the page. By the way, I got up at 5:45 this morning. It was painful, I admit, but oh so very much worth it :-). Back to the Bible, though. Paul is so great to remind us of the power of Christ. Lately I've been struggling with various sins, as we all tend to do, and lately I've been felt worn down by sin. Usually I feel worn down by school, relationships, various responsibilities, etc., but not always so much by actual legitimate temptation. Now I just feel like someone is taking a metal spoon and just scraping away at my resolve and my convictions. Paul just reminded me, "10If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (NASB)
And it's okay to suffer. It allows me to identify with Christ in His suffering. Paul tells us we are "children of God." Because we suffer with Him, we are also glorified with Him. The whole part about creation groaning and suffering birth pangs is visible in our world today and we are witnesses to the world in decay as it cries for justice. But again, we are reminded that even with death and suffering and the many, many horrors that occur even in our sheltered lives as we watch the people we know and/or love fall and be torn apart seeking after anything but God, He "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." What a powerful reminder.
My brother is coming to visit me tomorrow, and I am so grateful and so very excited to see him again. My comps were indefinitely postponed, so I even get to spend a good several days with Kameron hanging out and doing various other things (hopefully things that don't cost money). Yes, it will be a fun weekend. So, I have a paper due and a presentation on the 'morrow, and thus, I am off with one more thought:
And it's okay to suffer. It allows me to identify with Christ in His suffering. Paul tells us we are "children of God." Because we suffer with Him, we are also glorified with Him. The whole part about creation groaning and suffering birth pangs is visible in our world today and we are witnesses to the world in decay as it cries for justice. But again, we are reminded that even with death and suffering and the many, many horrors that occur even in our sheltered lives as we watch the people we know and/or love fall and be torn apart seeking after anything but God, He "causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." What a powerful reminder.
My brother is coming to visit me tomorrow, and I am so grateful and so very excited to see him again. My comps were indefinitely postponed, so I even get to spend a good several days with Kameron hanging out and doing various other things (hopefully things that don't cost money). Yes, it will be a fun weekend. So, I have a paper due and a presentation on the 'morrow, and thus, I am off with one more thought:
"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
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