It is by grace you are saved! Did you know that? There is no way to earn your way into heaven, isn't that a relief? If that was the case, I'm sure I would be turned away. So, it is by grace we are saved. It was the love of God, who sent His only Son Jesus to die for our sins. One man, took on the sins of many, and today we are called His children. We walk on this earth knowing there is one God with three parts, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. After Jesus died, we were filled with the Holy Spirit and today we can walk in faith and truth that Jesus died for us and covered all our sins.
There will be a day of judgement and none of us will escape. We will be called before the Lord and He will judge. The great thing about our God is that every sin is forgiven when we ask. It is put to the East or the West but its far from us. Unless, of course, we keep it close. Because along with sin comes shame and we love to hold on to that. But God calls us to let go, to believe that He has forgiven us and know that when we ask for forgiveness, we are forgiven. That is such a relief! I sin, you sin, we all sin and I'm so glad I can wash it away and learn from it. Of course, we need to learn from it. So if you're repeating a sin over and over, you haven't made the switch yet. Take some time to figure out why you keep repeating the behavior and ask God to change it. He will.
Throughout my life, I have struggled with the sin of my parents and the sin of my own actions, which oftentimes left me depressed, scared and worried. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I realized when I asked for forgiveness it was truly forgiven. My fear comes from failure. Somewhere along the way I thought I needed to be perfect to be loved. This was not reinforced in my home but I began to build a case around my thought life. And as you can guess, it was the wrong way of thinking.
People look at Christians and think we have it all together. That can't be farther from the truth. As a matter of fact because we are Christians we know we don't have it together. We are sinful and with our hearts we confess it and ask Jesus to reveal it to us. So, whenever you see a Christian do something they shouldn't, remember they are tempted just like you and me. Sin is in all of us but those that follow Christ are judged harsher by man and can often fall harder. That's why we are told not to judge anyone because you never know when you'll be judged.
The reality of being a Christian is you did nothing to earn it. It was bought and paid for you on the cross. Jesus died for you so that you could rejoice with Him in heaven. You can't earn it and you can't bribe your way into heaven, so if God is calling you to be His child, except today. It will be the best gift you were ever given. Following Christ is not always easy. There will be times you feel stretched like a rubber band and believe me those times are very uncomfortable. But I have always come out of them thanking God for what He showed me. And I think, I'm becoming a much better person for them. Of course, you would have to ask those closest to me to really know if that's true.
Life is about choices and I can tell you the best choice I ever made was at 20 when I chose Jesus Christ. I didn't always follow Him like I should. I definitely didn't read my Bible like I should and I have to say I've wandered in the desert more times than I would like to admit. But through prayer, I have always found my way back to Him. He truly is my light. So, if you're struggling with God and you're not quite sure where you stand, ask Him. He is there for you and has offered you the greatest gift, His love. People will disappoint you but Christ shows up when you most need Him. You may have to look for Him but He's there.
If you don't know Christ today, keep seeking Him. He wants you to be part of His fold and I do too. There is no greater place to be then in His arms. Please join me in praying for every woman seeking a Savior and rejoice that God still saves!
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.
My prayer today-
O, Lord, I come before You today asking just one thing, that You would bring women all over the world to You. That these women would come to know You and that through their faith many around them will find you too. Women need to hear the call and I know You are calling. So help us all to be faithful and to pray for the unsaved. We were lost once and You came and delivered us. I'm praying that You will do that now. Women need a Savior and they need to know that their shame can be washed white as snow. We don't have to worry or fear because You are our comfort. So as I sit and write to You, I pray for those women and ask that I would be faithful in the fight. Help us, O, Lord to find You in Scripture and to spread the good news. For Jesus died on a cross and rose again! We are saved by faith and not by works. Only Your hand can save us. Please instill this in every heart as we cry out to You. We need You Lord and the only one we want to boast about is You! Please bring Your women forward in a mighty way and show us all the power of the cross. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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