Amazed by Grace

Pslam 139 is an AMAZING chapter in God's Word.  Filled with affirmation, and encouragement to the believer about being formed, helped, protected, lead, and loved by God.  Absolutely beautiful!  Then at the end David shares...

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.  See if there is any wicked way in me; lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23-24"

I have read these verses several times and have thought: "hey, that's good stuff!"  However, recently The Holy Spirit encouraged me to take more than a casual glance, and actually pray those words!  YIKES!  That's intimidating!  I mean what if He finds something in there that He didn't know about?  What if He sees something lurking in the very back dark corner that shocks Him.  I mean really, do I want to be the "one" that surprises God by what He found in my heart?  I can just see it now....God, with His hands folded together frowning and saying, "Well, I never!"

So, for a few days I struggled with this, I wrestled with being obedient.  I want to be pleasing to my Father, and I was pretty sure that if He only knew......the secret anger, unforgiveness, regrets, fears, insecurties and doubt that I had packed away in my heart maybe, just maybe, He would decide that I wasn't worth the effort.  Then I re-read the WHOLE chapter!

ALL OF IT!!!  Have you ever read it?  Well, if not you should.  I had but I had forgotten....TRUTH!
Being anything but real before Holy God is absolute nonsense!  Here's why......

Psalm 139: 1-18

"Lord, You have searched me and know me.  You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thought from far away.  You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of ALL my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, LORD.  You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me.  This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.  It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.  Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?  Where can I flee from Your presence?  If I go up to heaven, You are there if I make my bed in Sheol (grave) You are there.  If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, even there Your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me.  If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night"--even the darkness is not dark to You.  The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to You.  For it is you who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother's womb.  I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.  Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.  My bones are not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.  God, how difficult Your thoughts are for me to comprehend; how vast their sum is!  if I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wakeup, I am still with You."

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!

Satan is a liar, a good one, but a liar just the same!  He know exactly what to say to make me doubt, he knows the areas I don't feel safe, when and how to attack so that I will believe  his lies, even if just for a moment.  And for a moment he had me convinced that I had hidden something that would make me unwanted by my Father!

In a world where people are discarded as soon as they are no longer "useful" and where children are treated like trash instead of treasure, it doesn't take much to believe this lie, and accept this lie as a truth.  Do you want to know something?  (if you said no, you should probably stop reading :-D)
                               NOTHING IS HDDEN FROM GOD!   NOTHING!!!

 I believe that most people don't really believe this.  They think that where they are God's grace can't reach.  Here's the thing about God's amazing grace.  You can't be good enough to earn it, or bad enough to loose it.  No one deserves grace, but God pours it out on us because He loves us with a never ending love.   He proved that to us by allowing His One and Only Son Jesus to come and pay the price for our sins.  God's word is very clear about this prices.  Death.  When sin entered this world so did death, and all sin leads to death. No exceptions.  Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf we are able to be sons and daughter, of The King of kings and Lord of lords!  Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross for our sins.  Three days later God raised Him for the dead, conquering sin and death for US!!!  The Bible tells us.. "If  you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord",: and believe in your heart that God raised Him for the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9   Once you are saved, NOTHING can remove you from His love!  "For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, thing present or things to come, powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us for the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! Romans 8:38-39 As His childern we are free to go boldly before the throne of the Most High God and say..."search me, show me anything in me that doesn't bring you honor and give me the strength to remove it so that I can be pleasing in Your sight!"

 And, you want know something else.......He loves you, warts and all!  It is His desire to touch each area of your hurt.  Do you know what happens when He touches you?  HEALING!    And, it is absolutely AMAZING!