She said,"At the end of the day, life should ask us, ‘Do you want to save the changes?"
I thought first that there are some days I WOULD PREFER not to save changes.
I then thought my faith would say that even the hardest times work for good even if I cannot see it at the time. I remembered earlier in the month reading a blog post that quoted,
"Providence is actually so contemporary that it anticipates how vastly different things often seem from our perspective. Rarely does it feel like every event in our lives is for our good. But providence, in its mysterious movements, flanks the arguments about how we may feel and compels our faith in the God who is doing “ten thousand times more” than we realize."
"Be revived, encouraged, comforted, God is fulfilling his purpose for you." (Jonathan Parnell)
God will fulfill His Purpose for you
I then thought how we seldom see or know what the future holds and if the decisions about the future were in my control I may not orchestrate the ending as well as God who works for our good by His Grace. Life has it's challenges and turns but God's grace is at every turn to strengthen us; past, present and future!
"God’s grace is ever cascading over the waterfall of the present from the inexhaustible river of grace coming to us from the future into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past."(John Piper)
"Grace, in the New Testament, as we have seen, is not only God’s disposition to do good for us when we don’t deserve it — undeserved favor. It is also a power from God that acts in our lives and makes good things happen in us and for us. Paul said that we fulfill our resolves for good “by his power” (verse 11). And then he adds at the end of verse 12, “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” That power that actually works in our lives to make Christ-exalting obedience possible is an extension of the grace of God.
We can reflect the sparkle of saving grace even-though we are like diamonds in the rough-- having exceptional qualities or potential but lacking refinement or polish.
I then thought how we seldom see or know what the future holds and if the decisions about the future were in my control I may not orchestrate the ending as well as God who works for our good by His Grace. Life has it's challenges and turns but God's grace is at every turn to strengthen us; past, present and future!
"God’s grace is ever cascading over the waterfall of the present from the inexhaustible river of grace coming to us from the future into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past."(John Piper)
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| Photo by Erin- PNW |
"Grace, in the New Testament, as we have seen, is not only God’s disposition to do good for us when we don’t deserve it — undeserved favor. It is also a power from God that acts in our lives and makes good things happen in us and for us. Paul said that we fulfill our resolves for good “by his power” (verse 11). And then he adds at the end of verse 12, “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” That power that actually works in our lives to make Christ-exalting obedience possible is an extension of the grace of God.
Therefore this grace which moves in power from God to you at a point in time is both past and future. It has already done something for you or in you and therefore is past. And it is about to do something in you and for you, and so it is future — both five seconds away and five million years away.
God’s grace is ever cascading over the waterfall of the present from the inexhaustible river of grace coming to us from the future into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past. In the next five minutes, you will receive sustaining grace flowing to you from the future, and you will accumulate another five minutes’ worth of grace in the reservoir of the past. "(John Piper)
God’s grace is ever cascading over the waterfall of the present from the inexhaustible river of grace coming to us from the future into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past. In the next five minutes, you will receive sustaining grace flowing to you from the future, and you will accumulate another five minutes’ worth of grace in the reservoir of the past. "(John Piper)
Sermon link
"We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. .. 11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thessalonians 1:3. 11-12,)
Each day we have new mercies. Although most days are auto save and we do not have the option to save changes we do have the option of starting each day with a fresh awareness of God's grace and trusting in a broader plan than our small view if things. The imperfection and flaws of the past somehow are covered by the cross and we are clean as the fresh fallen snow in His eyes.
We can reflect the sparkle of saving grace even-though we are like diamonds in the rough-- having exceptional qualities or potential but lacking refinement or polish.
Each day cuts, refines and shapes us and makes us more like Christ.
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| Erin Photo - Oregon |
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