Freedom is Found in His Grace and Unfailing Love

Psalm 143:7-12

“Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies, destroy my foes, for I am your servant.”

 

***

A door stood before me, glowing in white incandescent light. Diamonds and crystals encrusted the edges. The door shone with a brilliance that made me automatically think, “This must be Heaven - and I think God is beyond that door.”

With my hand outstretched towards the crystal knob, I paused for a moment as I caught sight of my skin. It was covered in filth – soot was stained into my skin. A stench rose around me. My hands stretched towards my head and I lifted up parts of my nest-like hair that were matted from weeks of not washing.

Suddenly, I did not want to turn that knob. Shrinking away from the door, I started to fall inwards into despair, but a musical voice interrupted me.

“Head right in! He cannot wait to see you.” An angel stood there beckoning me forwards with a bright smile, kindness swimming in her eyes.

Hope burgeoned in my chest. I stepped forwards to push the door open, focusing on the angel's encouragement, and not at the filthy state I was in. I desperately wanted to see my Father and be loved by Him.

 

***

God doesn't care what state we are in. He doesn't want us to live in sin or live a life filled with despair and self-blame. He does not want us to be living in a broken spiritual state. He wants us to live in freedom. In the freedom found in His son, Jesus Christ.

Freedom is found in the welcome we receive at the door. Freedom is in the grace of God, even when we fall and stumble and make mistakes, that grace covers us with a sheer light, softening the bruises on our heart.

This image also reminds me of the responsibility we have as Christians, to introduce others to our Father. He cannot wait for us to come to Him. At Outflow, we try and meet with those who come to the door with the same enthusiasm and kindness that the angel showed me in the dream. For we are all covered in sin and filth, but by the grace of God, we are welcomed in with love, kindness, and joy. That is Jesus working in and through us. It is not by our strength, but through His.

2 Corinithians 12:9

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

God bless,

Laura Duncanson

I'll Hold Your Hand

“Can we pray with you, Paul?”

“Yes. I'll hold your hand.”

Hold my hand. He wants to hold my hand as we pray. I look at his hand. It is dirty. His hand is dry and calloused and dirty. His nails are bitten shorter than mine (we share the same nasty habit) and are black with filth. We have just had lunch and he is a bit messy when he eats. He wants to hold my hand. He reaches across the table, past his dirty plate. Expectant. I scream a little on the inside. My hand is heavy. How much time has passed? Feels too long. Stop hesitating. What is my face saying? Fix my face. He needs touch. He desires personal contact. He needs to know I love him. Like someone jumping into a cold pool, I hold my breath and take the plunge. I grab his hand. It is warm. His grip is firm. He bows his head to pray, and we (my coworker and I) love him.

I have read a few books over the past couple of years that talk about Jesus' ministry being one that makes touch a priority. Not on purpose. I didn't go looking for books that would point out how very unlike Jesus I am in this regard, but alas, here I am. I said I wanted to be more like Jesus, to love as He does, and that includes (but is not limited to) touching people. One author I read last year pointed out that Jesus could have healed all the people he did without ever laying a hand on them as he did for the centurion's servant in Matthew 8. But he didn't. Instead, he packed spitty mud on a blind man's eyes and stuck His fingers in a deaf man's ears. He touched them where they were sick. He also allowed people to touch Him. Invited it, even. One woman grabbed his cloak and another kissed His feet. Matthew 14: 34-36 tells us that a crowd brought all their sick to Jesus and begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of His robe, and all who touched him were healed. He sat and let the crowd take turns touching Him. That's amazing to me. Jesus loved and accepted love through physical touch.

That all brings me to this – what do my hands look like? They are certainly not perfect. They are small and always cold. My nails are bitten and sometimes bleeding. I have hangnails and torn or ragged cuticles. And they are far from clean. My sins are many. But, because of Jesus' great love, He sees my dirty, imperfect hand and reaches out without hesitating. For this, I am thankful.

“One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me.” Luke 18: 15, 16 (emphasis mine)

Chanelle

Meditate on Grace

I have been trying to add spiritual disciplines to my life. I invite you to join me in this for a few minutes as you read.

Stop. Rest. Focus. I would like you to join me in meditation. Our topic for meditation is grace.

Let us think about the sin and brokenness that make grace necessary. Think about the amount of love God must have for us to initiate grace. Think about the torment Jesus went through during the last few hours before his crucifixion. Think about Jesus’ emotion when he cried out “Why have you forsaken me?”

Let us think about the joy Mary had when she talked to the risen saviour in the garden. Think about the men on the road to Emmaus when the risen saviour served them supper. Think about the apostles’ faces as Jesus appeared in the upper room. Think about the apostles’ wonder when they watched Jesus ascend to heaven.

Let us think about ourselves. Think about our own sin and why we each need grace. Think about the cost of our salvation. Think about our new lives through grace that Jesus offers each of us.

Grace is, in my mind, the most attractive and the most unattractive aspect of Christianity.

It is attractive for the obvious reasons. I know I cannot fix my mistakes but that doesn’t matter because grace fixes them for me. I know I deserve to be punished but I know I won’t be because grace pardons me. I know that I was lost but now I am found because grace has set me free.

It is unattractive for the less obvious reasons. Grace is free for me, but it cost God dearly. It cost him his life. Grace and the fact that I need it means that I am equal to everyone including the irritating people I wish would leave me alone. Grace means I need grace for me as much as they need grace for whatever sin of theirs I am quietly judging. Grace is somehow less attractive when I am not the recipient.

Let us pray that we rejoice over grace for “the other” as much as we rejoice over it for ourselves.

Jesus also tells us that grace comes with an obligation and he put this obligation squarely on the church, on you and me when Jesus spoke to Simon – renamed Apostle Peter – the rock on which he built his church. Jesus told Peter that he would do something horrible (and Peter did) but that he would be forgiven by Jesus (and he was). Forgiveness is not the end of the story, though. When Peter came through the testing, Jesus had a job for him.

Luke 22:31-32 is becoming one of my favourite passages. It comes at the end of Jesus predicting Peter’s denial. He says:

“Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.” (MSG)

Let us have our final meditation. Let us think about how – now that we have received grace – we can help our companions have a fresh start. How can God use you and how can God use me to demonstrate the grace we have?

--Tony