Your Grace Still Amazes Me

Everything is growing and changing to the most beautiful green right now.  As I sit and listen to the thunder, watch the lightning that was displayed before my ears and eyes, and now, sit back and hear the glorious sound of the rain coming gently down, I am in awe and amazed at how our God blesses us and chooses to continuously give us the beauty of the earth.

It is a gentle rain, a good soaking rain, one to make the grass grow and the flowers and trees to bloom.  A lovely sounding rain to relax a tired soul, an anxious soul, and as I see the grass turning green almost before my eyes, I am grateful.  

Grateful for His Grace, 

      Grateful for His mercy, 

            Grateful for His love, 

                   Grateful for His provisions,

                          Grateful for His blessings,

                                 Grateful for His salvation.

How can we not delight in our God, the Lord Jesus Christ?  How can we not throw ourselves before His throne, to worship Him in reverence, in song, in dance, on bended knee, prostrate before Him, with words of love, of kindness, of adoration, of praise, of confession, of adulation, of obedience.  

"Bless the lord, O my soul, 

And all that is within me, 

bless His holy name."

Psalm 103:1

"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my soul, which You have redeemed."
Psalm 71:23

"Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

So I will bless You as long as I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul is satisfied...

And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips."

Psalm 63:3-5

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

Psalm 30:11-12

"I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,

My soul will exult in my God."

Isaiah 61:10a

"These verses and many others command us to worship God in ways that express deep gratitude, longing for Him, and joy for our salvation.  This gratitude, longing, and joy should overflow our hearts, causing praise for His character and nature.  We are not free to praise God in any way we decide; we are to worship Him in the ways that He has prescribed.  God has told us how to praise Him.  We are to do so with all that is within us, with shouts of joy, with songs of thanks and gladness, with faces and hands uplifted!

Should not we, who know the mercy of redemption, be filled with more praise than the angels who have worshiped since the beginning of time?  God recounts how all the 'morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy' (Job 38:7)  How much more should we, who have been forgiven, redeemed, adopted, and made heirs of His kingdom, praise Him and shout for joy?  

(Excerpt from Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick)

As I see the beauty before me, and hear God's beauty around me, I stand in awe, and I bow on bended knee to give thanks for all He has done.  

We give our obedience, not out of fear, yes, there is a reverent fear of who God is, but we give it because He commands it; He has called us out, to be different, to shine, to walk differently.  It is when you see no difference, we must question if we are truly walking with the One who gives life, who is Truth, who gives and who takes away; it is then, my confession must come before Him, of whom else am I glorifying if others do not see me as one who obeys only my Lord and King, Jesus Christ. 

My Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, I pray for those around us, right around us;
the farmer with 2 brain tumors, 
my cousins who lost their mother at the age of 80
a friend with prostrate cancer
a man with  a tumor on his kidney 
a friend who lost her mother and her father-in-law
a friend whose nephew died at the age of 12
my dad has pleurisy
my mom who has pulled a back muscle
neighbor with breast cancer
my sister's son with Type 1 diabetes at 8 months old, he's 2 now
friend who miscarried - looking to God who said "Be fruitful and multiply"

Oh, how Your grace still amazes me in times of need!  These dear friends are looking and leaning on You Lord.  Give them Your grace, and thank You for sustaining us in our lives here.  Jesus, we thank You for using all things to bring glory to Your Name.

In His Grace,
Jody