Grace and Freedom

It shouldn't surprise me when God answers my prayers, but it blows my mind every time. The creator of all things hears my little, pathetic voice and answers it with so much grace. Time and time again I tell Him how desperate I am for his intervention in my heart and so often it stops there. I chose temporary pleasures over time with Him and all the while I'm asking him to make himself real to me. Jesus is able to quench my thirst for him without me drinking the water he's laid in front of me, but why don't I take advantage of what he's already given? And still, he draws me to himself when I neglect him.

I do so little in this relationship. Even when I think I'm doing good things, I'm still doing nothing in comparison to what Jesus does to be in relationship with me. I often try to enslave myself to the rules again. I rely on my appearances to bring me salvation. If I do this, this, and this God will love me and others will love him too. In reality, I need to accept the gift he's given and see that I was set free to be free, not to be enslaved. I am free to come to him and be forgiven. I am redeemed by the blood of Jesus and I don't have to do anything to earn or maintain my salvation. I am learning to rejoice in that and let that be my measure of satisfaction and not what I do to somehow deserve it.

"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven" -Luke 10:20

I am seeing my inability to do anything. I need Jesus to intervene in anything I do if I want it to have eternal significance. He chooses to work through my inability. Currently he has put a few girls in my life, some who want to know about who Jesus is and some who want to be more like him without committing to him. I'm grateful that God has allowed me to know them. I truly enjoy their friendship. Now I need Jesus to intervene in these relationships and make them about Himself. I want to read Scripture with these girls. In and of myself I can't even muster up the courage to ask them if they want to. But with the Holy Spirit at work I believe we will learn more about God together. 

I am just so excited to be known by God, claimed by Him, and used by Him to bring these girls into the same freedom I've been given. I hope to see burdens lifted and hearts healed this year.