Thursday June 27, 2013 Glimpses of Grace
He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NKJV)
There are times when things aren't going in our lives as we expect them to and we grapple with the faithfulness of God. Sure there are times when we can feel His peace and sometimes even rest in it. His peace can be a solace for us if we would take God at face value. But we allow that great enemy known at the "fear of the unknown" to overcome us. Those are the times when we act like the child who needs to get his parents attention and he says over and over again "Hey look at me, look at me."
Beloved of God, we don't have to remind God to pay us attention. He is very attentive to us. He was the one who put us in the Lamb's Book of Life. He knows that we are still on this earth because He has not taken us to heaven yet. God is actively involved in our lives and He will supply all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. We must take courage and rest in the providence of God. God is watching over us and He has His hand on us.
Do you recall the arrest of Peter in Acts 12. Remember Peter resting peacefully peacefully in his jail cell, while being guarded by many soldiers. An angel woke him up, told him to get dress and then set him free. The reason why Peter could sleep peacefully can be found in John chapter 21. After Jesus' resurrection, he was once again reunited with His disciples. In a conversation that Jesus had with Peter, He told Peter that when he would become old someone else would dress him and carry him around.
Did you catch that insight? Well on the night of Peter's arrest, I think he remembered the Lord's words to him. Peter knew that the Lord was faithful to keep promises and that He was faithful to carry out what He started in someone. Peter was a living witness of the faithfulness of God. That's why Peter had peace and could sleep in the presence of his enemies. Peter knew the kind of death that he would die. He knew it would not be in a jail cell.
What did the angel say to Peter? He said "get dress." He didn't tell Peter to let someone else dress Him, but Peter was to dress himself. On the authority of God's word, He can be trusted. The Lord will answer our prayers. He is faithful even though when we are faithless. Each day we get a glimpse of the Lord grace. It is something that we don't deserve but it was all made possible because of Christ love for me.
God's faithfulness is shown in strengthening and protecting those He has called, guarding them from the evil one, sanctifying them wholly and preserving them entire -- spirit, soul and body -- without blame at the coming of Jesus. This confidence of God's children in regard to their future is not in their faithfulness, but in His.~R.A. Torrey
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