God's Grace Raptures My Soul

Growing up in dysfunction tainted my image of God. Growing up in a legalistic environment caused me to misplace attributes of anger, judgement, and disinterest to God. BUT...all that changed when I truly encountered God's grace.

While running from God and living under heavy condemnation and shame...God demonstrated His love for me. In the midst of my darkness He pardoned my sin. In the midst of making bad decisions He convicted me with His kindness and lovingly drew me near! And, can I just say that quite honestly...God's grace still raptures my soul!

This morning, as I read from Zephaniah 3:17, God reminded me of His incredible love: "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (NIV)

WOW! Talk about AMAZING! What an incredible thought...God delights in us...He quiets us with His love...He rejoices over us with singing! WHEW!

Psalm 147:11 declares, "the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." (NIV)
Friend, my prayer is that God's love drives my every action...that His love overflows from my life to others...that His love quiets all my fears.

When I think of His love...I live in perfect joy and peace! When I think of His love...I can't help but offer my life back to Him, to be used for Him, to follow after Him, and to live for Him completely!

How about you?

Are you living in fear? --Remember His love.
Are you needing provision? --Remember His love.
Are you hurt, broken, and in need of healing? --Remember His love.

God's love traversed through the trenches of our indifference and pride and nailed the weight of our sin to its final death on the cross. Even when we feel alone He is there.

I pray you are encouraged by God's goodness and love toward you, today! And, encourage you to meditate on Psalm 139:1-18, which says: "O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise;you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in — behind and before;you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit?Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there;if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn,if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me,your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you;the night will shine like the day,for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being;you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;your works are wonderful,I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them,they would outnumber the grains of sand." (NIV)