As I am writing this post, my heart is full of gratitude. The verse “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6) is on my mind and heart. This is the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes (Psalm 118:23). The goodness of God is something man can never fully comprehend. I am so grateful to the LORD for being patient with me, for guiding me step by step, teaching me and showing me the way I should go; helping me walk with Him even when everything in me screamed for He knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me and do me no harm (Jeremiah 29:11). I see it in my life in this very moment as I walk through challenges. I am just grateful that He allows me to see the “new thing” He is doing in me. No one tells you the way is hard or will be hard, the fact that the LORD is with you in the valley or in the fire does not make things any less painful. I used to think that the LORD being with me meant that I would not suffer anything, or rather that I would not feel the toll of the fire on my body. How naïve was I to think so. Moreover, I believed that the LORD being with me in the battle meant I would not have to fight or take possession or enforce His will in my life, yet again, how naïve I was to think that. Today, I am thankful to the LORD for His guidance and for teaching me slowly but surely what it means to be delivered, what it means to wait and see the salvation of the LORD.
This post will be a bit different from most of my posts because it is more a reflection of how I have seen the LORD work in my life. In addition to that, it is also an avenue to praise the Holy One of Israel, the One true God and King, my God, my Saviour and my Father. As I was reading throughout the psalms this week, the idea of praising God for His justice, His righteousness, His faithfulness and lovingkindness was prevalent. These are characteristics of God we hear of all the time; we know of them or at least we read of them. Often, we take them for granted but this morning, as I was reflecting upon my life, it dawned on me that I have been and am a recipient of God’s goodness, mercy and love throughout my life. From the moment of my birth, He had decided that I would live, when doctors were not sure because I was a premature baby. In those days, premature pregnancies were not as common to handle as they are today, so this was frightening for my parents. Yet I lived, I thrived, and the LORD’s hand was upon me. I look at my life today and His hand is all over me. He is such a good, good Father, faithful and does not treat me as my sins deserve (Psalm 103:10). How can I not praise Him? Why should I not celebrate His name? Indeed, His ways are perfect and not like our ways (Psalm 18:30; Isaiah 55:8-9). Glory be to His name in the highest!
I have been a recipient of God’s grace and mercy for the longest time, there is nothing that I did that could have qualified me for this great love that I am benefitting from, nothing at all. Truly, while I was still a sinner the LORD searched me (Romans 5:8), He knocked on my door and by His grace, I answered the call to draw near to Him. He did the transforming work in my life to change me from sinful, selfish acts to selfless, sacrificial love. He turned me from a prideful one into a humble one (albeit still working on me), He changed me from a “know it all” to one that is willing to accept and learn. He changed me from a people pleasing, family pleasing, parent pleasing one into a God pleasing one. From a liar to a truth-teller and the list goes on. Of course, this transformation did not occur over night and to some extent, it continues to occur and that is the sanctification process at work and boy am I ever so thankful and grateful to my Father who has not given up on me, who continuously and relentlessly teaches me the way that I should go. I could not have asked for a better Shepherd, who knew me even before I was in my mother’s womb; knows the depth of my heart and my heart is at peace with Him. I want nothing else but Him. This life with all its distractions and pleasures may seek to offer me fullness but, in His presence alone is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). If there is anything I am learning these days is that we are on a perpetual journey of knowledge with the LORD. There is always so much to discover and understand about His word and His ways. I am learning that the commandments of the LORD are indeed not cumbersome (1 John 5:3), that they give life to the righteous and that they are for our good (Proverbs 4:22), yet they are also not as easy as they appear to be. In all this, we are not alone, we submit to the council of the Holy Spirit who tells us the mind of Christ that is ours in Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:16).
My encouragement is simple for you today, “trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). He knows best what it is that you should do, He sees the beginning from the end, and He holds this world in His hands (Isaiah 46:10). In fact, He is the one who guides the king’s heart where it should go (Proverbs 21:1). Wasn’t He the one who raised a pagan king to carry out His plans for His own people? Like King Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed, “no other God saves like the God of Israel” (Daniel 3:29). The LORD saved me from my sin while I was still a sinner and not thinking of myself as a rebellious sinner, and now I am a child of God because I have believed in the sacrifice of Jesus on my behalf, believed in His righteousness, believed in the transfer that happened at the cross and now I am a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) . This is not anything that I have done, it is by grace alone so that I would not boast in my “good works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). For this, I would be eternally grateful, my life is His indeed. Where He leads, I will go even if it hurts. With tears, I will go, and I will stay until He brings me into the other side and makes me the pure jewel He sees me as. The journey might be long but wait for the LORD, be strong and take courage and wait for the LORD (Psalm 27:14). Amen!
A Word Aptly Spoken 