Standing on Grace

This past week I have neglected God's Word and my prayer time with him. It was not that I have a beef to pick with God or I am mad at him, but I let discouragement slip into my life from circumstances around me. Instead of fixing my eyes on Jesus and letting the things around me grow dim, I gazed on my circumstances and became discouraged and lethargic. I know his presence brings refreshing and renewal, but it seemed like my surroundings had a hold on me. It is in times like these I love the lyrics of a wonderful Rich Mullins song. "If I stand, let me stand on the promise that you will pull me through, and if I can't let me fall on the grace that first brought me to you". There are times when I am in God's Word, praying, and I feel like I am invincible and more than a conqueror. In those times I hold fast to every promise in God's Word. In times like these though, I am glad I can fall on God's grace and say sorry to him and ask him to pull me through when I don't have the strength to do it on my own. His grace is enough and will always be enough when we neglect him or seem to pull away a little bit. The great thing about God is that we can come back to him and he treats us like we were never gone. He is an amazing Daddy and I am glad he holds no grudges, no record of wrongs, or a list of my shortcomings.

Hero

In today's culture, we throw around the word hero so loosely. We attach it to sports figures, singers, or hollywood. More times than not, those personalities let us down and don't ever fulfill the true definition of "hero". Hero means courage under fire, self-sacrifice, forsaking all the world's success to achieve the goal our God has laid before us. Some biblical characters: Stephen, the first martyr, David who stood up to the giant, Abraham who stood on his faith, Rahab, who put her life in jeopardy to protect God's people, John the Baptist gave up comfort to preach in the desert. Modern day heroes are Jim Elliot who was martyred for preaching the Gospel in Ecuador, Chareles Wesley who led a grace rebellion in the late 1700s, William Seymore, who birthed the AG by seeking God 24/7. Heroes are also Dads who are spiritual leaders of their homes, love their kids and their wife, Moms who support their husbands and take care of the home, students who sacrifice popularity, acceptance, and fame because they are more concerned with what Jesus thinks. I will know I fit the term "hero" when I stand before Jesus and He says, "well done my good and faithful servant". When I hear those words every thing I am in a person, father, husband, son, employee, leader, and friend will be labeled successful. That is the hero I want to be and that is what I want to emulate in those I look up to on this earth. Make me more like my ultimate hero, Jesus Christ.