As I listen to the birds outside this morning I am reminded of God's great mercy. In His love He gives us things, simple, free things that make us happy. The sunrise or sunset. The smell of freshly mowed grass. The giggle of a child. The song of a bird. God's miracles are all around us. We just have to reach out and grasp them.
In our busy lives this becomes more difficult but that is just because we allow the world to crowd out what God has provided. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, He has given us the ability to have peace beyond our wildest imaginings. This is a deep abiding peace not to be confused with emotional turmoil.
In Matthew 14:25-33 we are told the story of Peter wanting to walk on the water with Jesus. In a nutshell, if Peter had kept his focus on Jesus and had not been distracted by the storm around him, he would have been fine. Still, as he sank, Jesus was there to lift him up just as he does us.
In our foolish stubbornness we often think we know better than Jesus. We turn away and make our own decisions and then cry out to God to save us as we sink. When, if we just keep our focus where it should be, we might stumble but we will never fall completely.
In His wisdom, God has given us free will. This means He will not knock us down with the Word or force us to follow Him. He loves us all, even if we do not love Him. He wants no human being to spend eternity in hell. But it is our choice.
Just like the old saying you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. God can only put His mercy, grace, forgiveness, and love out there but He won't make us take it. It must be our choice. Choosing shows our commitment. He wants us to want Him. Oh, and how He pays us back! He constantly gives. He holds us when we hurt and corrects us when we step off the correct path. He loves us more than anything. It is my opinion that we should return that love to our best ability.
Riding the Whirlwind of God's Grace,
Lori