I am going through Romans and there is not one of the sins mentioned there, that I am not convicted of.
What to do? Am I saved? I must put my trust in Jesus' finished work on my behalf and not on my paltry efforts. I have come to learn this after many years of questioning. I question that my behavior doesn't live up to my profession.
Not unto us, Lord...
He is changing me, I see. But how long will it take before my life adds up to my acceptance of His work. It is lifelong, I am afraid. I would not be deceived, by not even trying. But, as I try and fail, time after time, He picks me up and dusts me off and changes my behavior to the comportment of grace. My forgiveness and my attitudes are lacking, He will step in, I pray and make all grace abound unto me, I trust Him to do that...Ultimately.
Hurricane season is a time to reflect on the mercy of God, that we live in such a time of God's sustained commitment to His Church. He holds our hands and gives us the opportunity to become longer suffering, in our situation and with the situations of others. He gives us the opportunity to show mercy, if we have means and the opportunity to receive human mercy, if we are not.
Each year, we see them come and go. This year they seem so intense and yet the mercy that we are enabled, by technology to see them developing, long enough ahead to do some real preparations and have real effort in their lessening human fatality and greater losses. This is so great a mercy and Heaven when we die, if we are attached to Him, as well. It seems too good to be true.
Are we truly humble and penitent in our responses to these treacherous circumstances? Are we really bowing the knee to a Holy God who is showing us mercy and giving, day after day? Are we exalting in our ability to hoard our resources and ride another one out in safety? Perhaps, even then, "Our Father's forgiving is only begun". We are weak, O Lord. We rejoice, when we should be wailing and complain and whine over the smallest inconveniences. Is the Spirit willing to submit all to Christ? Is the flesh really that weak that we have counted our inconvenience so great again? Only God knows our hearts.
I see Him taking His Church as a little girl on His Holy knee and asking if we are learning to show compassion rightly, yet? Are we growing hospitals to do what they are supposed to? Are we there with a cup of cold water, in Jesus' Name? Or are we hiding from responsibility, as we are wont to do? Are we showing forth the good and holy attributes of God, in crisis? Or, are we succumbing to the accusing voice of the adversary, who makes us think it is our ingenuity that has kept us from greater calamity?
It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not! Great is His faithfulness.
Great are our presumptions in these days of great advances on every sphere. May we shine forth Jesus, as individuals and churches and cities, countries and world. May we take His hand and learn to "do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. May we show forth the glory of the God who "sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him might be saved". In Jesus' Strong Name, Amen.
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
Refrain:
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His pow'r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
