April 27, 2012
“God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.” Colossians 1:13-14 The Message
The Lord loves you enough to reach into the darkest places of your life and bring you out into a life of grace and truth. He’ll find you in the most remote dead-end alleys. He’ll lift you out of the pit .. that hole in your heart you can’t fill in. He’s a God who rescues .. restores .. and renews. His claim upon you is a Cross .. an unlikely image that announces your freedom. It’s His life risen in you that transforms your life into a prayer of waiting .. watching .. and responding to what He says and where He leads. The morning represents a fresh start .. “generous redemption” .. and a grace-filled promise of His presence. Sometimes that means waiting which is not our natural response under pressure. Sometimes that means straining until you let go and find His indwelling peace. Sometimes there is no other way to find His love than in the waiting .. watching .. straining .. and surrendering. What is real is that God has rescued your life and He’s not going to let go of you. He’s shaping your life with the same love He shared in his Son. A South African pastor summed it up as follows: “The secret of the christian life is simply the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no safer place on earth than in His Life. No armies or governments can compare to His kingdom. That’s where your true citizenship resides. Wherever you are going today .. Whoever you will meet .. Whatever the circumstances .. you can face them knowing that you belong to the God who rescues and no one is outside of His reach. Your very life may be that message today for another life. And if it is .. it only takes a moment ..
“I pray to God — my life a prayer — and wait for what he’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.” Psalm 130:5-6 The Message
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to Followers of Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)
