Now that I'm out of the closet....(comments on last post)..thought I'd share a little of what God showed me last night after my last post. I am reading Ed Welch's book, "Running Scared". Before I went to bed, I read a few pages.....just a few, but it was all I needed. I won't explain it like Ed, he's a master communicator. I'll do my best to write what I heard.
The topic is Grace....
"The story of manna is a story that points to "more". More than you imagine. More in a way that will surprise you. Our Father is the God of more grace." (pg. 142)
He goes on to describe what grace is. When I fear something, I am really saying that God isn't going to give me enough grace to get through it. One of my fears is that I'll have another allergic reaction, need an epipen and be home alone with Faith. God doesn't promise that I won't need an epipen again, but he does promise to give me exactly what I need (and what Faith needs) if that should happen again.
I've always wondered what bugs me about when people pray for healing for a loved one, God heals, and then they proclaim that God is so good. Yes..he is..yes..he is to be praised, but what if that loved one dies? Are we still so quick to praise him and say that he is good?
Ed goes on to ask the reader if they're worried about the future (Um...that's a big yes...)...I'll just quote the man....
"You will be given all the grace you need when you need it."
"What form might that grace take? Be careful here. When we try to imagine grace in some future situations, we might still be resting in ourselves. We want specific confirmation that there will be grace, and we want to calm ourselves not by trusting in the Gracious One but in seeing the future. If I am called to drown, I don't know what grace I will receive. Having never had it, I can't imagine it, and since God gives much more than we ask my prediction no doubt would fall far short. It is enough to know that I WILL receive grace. I will know the presence of the Spirit and I will die, or be rescued, in a way that pleases the Lord." (pg. 145)
Again...it's about His kingdom, not mine. And, I have experienced his grace before, but like the Israelites, I forget.
I'd like to quote the infamous Kristin Woodford in closing, "We're all a bunch of dumb sheep."
She's right...we forget.....but God's grace covers us.
Thanks for hanging with me on this...it's a constant struggle and I want to grow and learn and not get stuck and settle for the fear or anxiety. I want to push through it, and come out the other side with a deeper trust, a deeper faith and a deeper love for the One who sustains us.
13 comments:
Great Post! Living by Faith in Future Grace!! I am with ya!
Thanks for sharing! I heard a line in a movie once that the Bible has "fear not" in it 365 times! I have not researched that myself but do take peace in that is one "fear not" for every day of the year!
*hugs* Great post...It's scary but sometimes through our fears that we find our strength.
There was a great quote I came across one day; It said,"Hope is faith holding its hand out in the dark."
God is great in that no matter how scary things get...He is always holding His hand out and saying,"Fear not, I have conquered all and I am here."
Welcome, Twinklemom..love the pic..
I agree with you all...and it is a process of trust...as we get to know God more, our faith grows.
SO with you, Sher. Yes, I agree that the start and finish line in the whole thing is (as you and I began the journey together last year), His precious Grace. Thanks for continuing to share your journey.
Good explanation about faith. My son is having some fears (thanks to a Lemony Snicket (sp?) book a friend gave him.) I will keep this in mind when talking to him.
Also, thanks for the comment on Carla's blog.
I'll be back here.
KR
ps I have four also. bgbb ages 11 to 5. How about you?
KR
You're always welcome at the coffee place...
Yep..12 (13 in a few weeks), 8, 3 and 2. Hands are full over here as well.
Sorry about the Lemony book, never heard of 'em.
Thanks for the posting! I so appreciate it. I had a "fearful" experience this weekend which turned out ok and only God could get me through it.
Oswald Chambers points out in his book, "My Utmost for His Highest," that worry (in my opinion, just an offshoot of fear) is downright disrespectful to God and that we either trust Him or we don't.
It really made me wonder if I actually trust God since I am very fearful and worried all the time.
Thanks for your post. It augments what I've been reading and thinking about.
It really is a process of growth in our faith. As we let go a little more and give more to God, it gets easier. But, it's not as simple as, read this verse on fear and then your fear is gone. You have to know Who you're trusting in. And getting to know our Abba takes time, energy, and more time. It's a journey and you don't just wake up one morning and the fear and worry are gone, especially if you're prone to them. But, I'm going to continue down my journey, one step at a time, and keep pursuing Him. Because, like Oswald, I might put it his way..either what I profess to believe is true or it isn't. If it's true, it's worth pursuing. But, we often beat ourselves up over our lack of faith or worry. That doesn't help. We need to keep pursuing who we are in Christ. Hope all of that made sense.
LOVE your post and your perspective! Another good quote: "So the Bible does not assume that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead the Bible tells us how to fight when they strike. For example, I Peter 5:7 (RSV) says, 'Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares about you.' It does not say, you will never feel any anxieties. It say, when you have them, cast them on God. When the mud splatters your windshield and you temporarily lose sight of the road and start to swerve in anxiety, turn on your wipers and squirt your windshield washer."
--John Piper, Future Grace, p. 56
This book has rocked my world for the past few months--it's all about the same thing you were saying in this post.
Thanks for encouraging my heart, sis!
the verse that has been my bedrock in the midst of all my fear and anxiety has been from 1 John 1? it says "perfect love casts out all fear."
hmm. just rest in His perfect love for you. Let Him love you in His perfect nature, and allow Christ to remove the fear. something i am working through daily!! great post!
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