Peace, joy, happiness, freedom… As incredible as these states of being may be, they just do not do justice in describing how exhilarating that day was that the Lord saved me! A true mountaintop experience, and it is a moment that still brings tears to my eyes when I dwell upon the abundant mercy and grace that rushed over me that day. The beauty of God’s transforming work can leave a person in complete awe when you go from being lost to now found!
For the first time ever, I remember feeling like I had “clear vision” and I knew that the only path I could take now was the one that God would lead me down. But what I didn’t expect to follow weeks later was discouragement. Here I was, a new creation in Christ and nothing could be better… until I realized just how “marred” I still was. I wish I could go back to that time in my life and see through the “lens of truth” that God has allowed me to see through over the years. I was so focused on how marred I was and I missed what God was striving to do in spite of that. The good work that God had begun was steadily underway and He was working towards completion!
Jeremiah 18:4-5 tells us, “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”
What a beautiful “BUT God” moment! What a beautiful picture of grace! Although heavily marred, God was taking “the old” and making it “new”! I wish in my ‘infancy’ of walking with Christ, that I realized and understood this truth! This heavy awareness to the sin and the hindrances in my life were not for the purpose of bringing defeat, but instead, it was God graciously bringing about a necessary awareness of these things so that they may be removed from my life!
If you find yourself discouraged by the strongholds in your life, remember that God hasn’t brought them to light for that purpose. He brings them to light for awareness and then for removal! We cannot remove what we are unaware of and it is by grace that He shines His holy light upon these things in our lives. He longs to produces a harvest of righteousness and peace as long as we remain receptive to His discipline! (Hebrews 12:10-11)
In order for us to overcome the discouragement that can easily find its way into our lives, we must not forget God’s words of encouragement! (Hebrews 10:5) Let His living and active words dwell in your hearts richly so that these encouraging truths will be what you hear and believe- not the lies from the enemy! I thank God that He calls me child, and I pray that His light would continue to shine on me, marred places and all, so that I can live a life of obedience to Him as He continues to work to make me new!
Hebrews 12:10b-11
“but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Highlighting the hope that we have in Christ! 