Tag: Savior

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Accepted

When I was a child, I was afraid of God.  I am not speaking about a healthy fear of God, but a feeling of distress about the idea of God.  It was rooted in the idea that God was very legalistic – you do wrong and it’s over for you.  There was no grace in my idea of God.

Unfortunately, too many in the world see God as a legalistic, smoting, I will abandon you if you do wrong type of God.  It makes my heart hurt that so many believe God to be so cruel.

If we get down to it, yes, God deals with right or wrong actions/thoughts/etc. in black and white terms.  There are no blurred lines when classifying something a sin versus not a sin.  And, yes, Hell really exists.  But God is truly a loving, caring Father.  He does not classify the person based on their sin because we are all sinners. 

God’s love is eternal.  It existed long before we did. His love isn’t given to some and not given to others.  Thankfully, all we need to do to experience his grace is accept Jesus as our Savior.  Easy, simple, done.  

My favorite part of who God is that God loves you even before you accept him. He cares for you even before you accepted him.  He wanted you long before you wanted him.  That is grace and that is love.

Even if you are reading this and you have been a believer a long time – remember this!  Remember that you were known by God long before you knew him.  His grace was there before you needed it.  Accept it and move on.  He wants you to live your life in peace!

“He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:10-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:2-10‬ ‭NLT‬

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Restoration

I’ve heard it on the radio, I’ve seen devotions about it and I’ve seen my Facebook friends do it – picking a word for their year.  A word that they will focus on all year and make that year about THAT particular word.  (What’s your word for the year?)  Yeah…I am late on this, but I thought I had my word….until I heard differently from God.  Yep…my word is kinda awesome: RESTORE.

The definition of restore per Merriam-Webster is “to give back (someone or something that was lost or taken) : to return (someone or something); to put or bring (something) back into existence or use; to return (something) to an earlier or original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.”  The implications of this word are magnificent.

I have so many things in my life that I want to see RESTORED!  Relationships, finances, housing, ministry, life, health, faith, etc., etc. – for me and for my loved ones.  Can my God do it?  YES!  Whatever the situation may be, I know that God will do it…in a mighty way, too.

Let’s delve into some scriptures:

Jeremiah 30:17

I will give you back your health
    and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.
“For you are called an outcast—
    ‘Jerusalem for whom no one cares.’”

Joel 2:25-26

The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost
    to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts,
the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.
    It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.
 Once again you will have all the food you want,
    and you will praise the Lord your God,
who does these miracles for you.
    Never again will my people be disgraced.

Psalm 51:12

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you.

Acts 3:19-21

 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.  For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.

1 John 5:4

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.

Whatever you need restored, God can take care of it!  He has promised us RESTORATION and healing.  By HIS STRIPES we are healed, restored, made whole again.  Yep…because our Savior was broken, we are able to live a RESTORED life.  I’m so thankful for that!

What are you faithfully hoping that God restores this year?  Are you faithfully praying over that restoration and believing God will deal with it, no matter what the now looks like?

Pray this with me: Lord, thank you for your faithfulness in all things.  Thank you for the promise of restoration through the death and resurrection of your son Jesus.  Please touch the areas of my life that I and my loved ones desire and/or need restoration in.  Help me to have faith and stand on your word that all will be given back as long as I follow you!  I thank you for already doing it in my life and the lives of my loved ones.  We pray this all in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Be blessed everyone.

Restore