July 18, 2011

“Remember these things, O Jacob. Take it seriously, Israel, that you’re my servant. I made you, shaped you: You’re my servant. O Israel, I’ll never forget you. I’ve wiped the slate of all your wrongdoings. There’s nothing left of your sins. Come back to me, come back. I’ve redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:21-22 The Message

Remember .. Take it seriously .. You’re my servant .. I made you .. I’ll never forget you .. I’ve wiped the slate .. Come back to me .. I’ve redeemed you. God goes to any and every length possible to remove anything from between you and Him. He pleads to the point of begging. He over and over says that He’s never forget you. He wipes away your “wrongdoings” and clears the slate of your sins. And on top of it all He shows up wrapped in your skin and exchanges His life for yours. On one end He’s at the point of begging for you to come back and on the other end He’s nail-stretched before you’ve taken the first step back. He said He came to serve and He’s called you a “servant”. The path He walked: interruptions .. sickness .. diseased .. harassed .. tempted .. untouchables .. despised .. spiritually starved .. and the religiously glutted. He came to serve any and all of them .. and you. He came for you so that you could live knowing that He hasn’t forgotten your name in this fallen and spirally out of control world. Until then .. He’s called you to serve so that others might see just how wide God’s arms are stretched out to welcome them back home. They found you. It only takes a moment …

“This is what the Son of Man has done; He came to serve, not to be served — and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.” Mark 10:45 The Message

Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to Clean-Slated Followers of Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)