Dec. 31, 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 we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.” Colossians 1:13-14 The Message
When Jesus finds you? He already has. There isn’t a dark alley in your heart unknown to Him. The deepest dungeon cannot keep Him from finding you and rescuing you and bringing you back out into the light of His unchanging grace. He’s walked into every pit where men and women have been trapped or fallen because of sin. There isn’t a sin in your life that would make Him turn His back and walk away. Instead, Jesus walks towards you when your back is turned away. And when He finds you, He begins to work LOVE into your life. It’s not just any love. It is His LOVE. It changes you .. sometimes slowly .. but always truthfully. You can’t duplicate this LOVE on your own. It takes His life in you and no one or nothing else will substitute. Jesus finds you when you’re in the pit and when you’re just empty .. alone .. or just trying to make it on your own. His LOVE doesn’t wait for you to be ready. There isn’t anyone else who will ever LOVE like Jesus. And the kind of LOVE He wants to work into your life is infectious .. inviting .. and indwelling. When Jesus finds you … His life begins to LOVE you at every intersection of your life. Where Jesus finds you doesn’t matter … at least to Him. A dungeon .. A pit .. A sin .. A home .. On the road .. At your desk .. In your car .. In a crowd .. or all alone? You may think it was you that found Jesus .. but He was always looking for you first. And to qualify for this LOVE? Just open your heart .. drink .. breathe .. trust .. and believe. His LOVE will work its way into your life and your life will change. Inside your heart He is writing: LOVE IS … and it only takes a moment …
“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Cor. 13:4-7 New American Standard
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped written M-F to Men and Women LOVED by Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)