Driving Lessons

Driving Lessons

Last night, as I was driving to class, I was listening to the Christian radio station. A man was preaching from Romans chapter 5, verses 1 and 2.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

As he began talking about the “grace in which we stand”, he gave us a picture of standing in a field of grace. I liked the comparison. I lost where he was going with the rest of the message, as he was preaching through the chapter, but it gave me enough to think about. Picture yourself in a wide open field, surrounded by beauty, where you can see the rolling hills and the promise of the future. That is like “this grace in which we stand”. We don’t have to travel to get there, we don’t have to earn it, we are standing in grace. The problem is, most of the time we are too busy struggling and striving to realize it, to be still and experience His grace. What distracts us from it?

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Rom. 5:3-5

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, no, almost all the time, I have trouble glorying in tribulation. That is why I blog, to get past the “this really stinks” to the “God is good and He is going to bring me through this” stage. Sometimes I wonder why things seem to come in bunches, why things are such an uphill battle. But God promised we would have trials, and that we would overcome if we keep leaning on Him. Maybe we just need to stop flailing around like a drowning swimmer and reach out for the life preserver that He offers. It’s there for us, the grace of God, the grace in which we stand, the hope of the glory of God revealed in our character and in our lives. We have peace with God, and we have access to our Heavenly Father, we have his Spirit in us. “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Stop for a minute today and look around. You are standing in a field of grace. Pause to see His provision and goodness in your life. Linger in His presence like you would in a beautiful meadow, and sing “Amazing Grace”.

With love and prayers,
Cheryl

2/20/2008