My hope is that this blog will be a conduit for conversation between you and me, between you and others, and most importantly, between you and God. Experience has shown me that my best conversations with the Lord and with others come coupled with the stillness of morning and a cup of coffee. Whatever your experience has been, I hope you will join me as I share what God puts on my heart.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

I Am.

In my recent season of life, I have been pleading with God to give me specific answers.  Nearly all our seasons of life are like this to some extent.  But, often certain seasons of life include what we perceive as life-changing decisions.  I find myself believing that these decisions will determine whether I am in God’s will.  And because I do not want to forgo God’s plan, I want God to give me a yes or no regarding these decisions.  In doing so, I often stifle the freedom to which Christ has called me.

Maybe you are pursuing God for a yes or no.

Our Lord did not give me the answer I want.  Our Lord did not give me a yes or no.  Instead, God reminded me, I AmI Am the answerOur Lord is the answer.  Of course, our Lord is gracious enough to let us know when our decisions are wrong or when we have made a misstep.  But, the Lord prompted me to believe that sometimes the precise step we take is not a yes or no.  Because in Christ, when we are seeking Christ, we cannot miss God.  God’s grace is over us.  God does not want us to miss His plan for our lives. 

Thus, when we are seeking God and we have not heard otherwise, perhaps the exact step we take is immaterial.  In this case, God’s plan is not limited to our yes or no.  God is powerful enough and gracious enough to accomplish His plan in varying circumstances.  We will be in God’s plan because we have sought God.

We are in God’s plan not because we perfectly achieved a predestined step.  We are in God’s plan because we sought God, and our God is too gracious to let us misstep.  We are in God’s plan because our God has the power to accomplish His will in alternative circumstances.

Then, our confidence that we are in God’s plan for our lives is premised on God’s grace.  I want to possess this confidence in Christ.  And, I want it for you.  We miss this abundant life of freedom to which Christ has called us when we incessantly question our present state of life. 

Until you know otherwise, trusting is your only responsibility.  Trust that our God will let you know when you are in the wrong.  Trust that God is too gracious to let you miss His will.  Trust that our Lord Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave to provide a new covenant for you.  That covenant gives us full communion with God through Christ.  And the foundation of that covenant is that Christ is our atonement; Christ is our grace.  And because of this grace in Christ Jesus, our God is for us and not against us.  And if our Lord is our advocate, then our Lord wants to accomplish His plan in our lives. 

During this Easter season, I pray we can rejoice in this freedom we have through grace in Christ Jesus.  This freedom is not a license to sin; this freedom is trust.  If grace can conquer eternal death to our entire being, then surely grace can conquer the death in every component of our journey in Christ. 

Freedom in Christ produces a life of abundance because Christ has set us free from earning favor with God.  We must stop living like God’s plan for our life is a treasure hunt.  We must stop living like God’s plan for our life is this ambiguous answer that depends on us to perfectly ascertain.  The answer is not always a yes or no.  I Am is the answer.  The answer is God.  If you are seeking God, you are living God’s plan for your life right now. 

Praise God for the grace that is Christ Jesus.  Praise God that our Lord’s death and resurrection brought freedom to every facet of our lives.  I pray we take hold of this freedom.

“God said to Moses, ‘I Am who I Am.’  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’”  (Exodus 3:14 NIV).

“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”  (Psalm 33:11 NIV).

"For this reason, Christ is the mediator of the new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”  (Hebrews 9:15 NIV).

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  (Galatians 5:1 NIV).




I've got the joy joy joy joy in my coffee cup.  WHERE?  In my coffee cup...........

Sorry, that was awkward.  I am sure you have seen this glorious Almond Joy creamer before.  And if you haven't--oh my.  You poor, unfortunate soul.

Much love to you,

Paige


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