Swept Away by Grace—A Study in I Peter (Part 8)—Because You have Tasted that He is Good
It had been a simple question. It was meant to be a word of flattery, a friendly gesture to uplift, I am certain. Any other moment, I would have immediately known the answer—in a split second; because I know the truth. After all, I know the gracious beauty and wonder of God’s love. I know He is good and is Sovereign over my life. Then why, oh why did that question split open the scars of my past? Hadn’t God already healed that wound so long ago? Perhaps it was timing that made it lethal or perhaps I had let down the wall just enough to allow the question in with all that it could imply, or maybe I had turned off the alarms because I though I was safe. There it was the question, “So, who takes care of Super Woman?” At that moment my heart split in two and all the desires for human love I had long ago laid aside rushed in, along with all the fears of rejection, feelings of loneliness, and those feelings of inadequacy. For that moment, all the truth of who I am in Christ faded into the background as Satan’s lies became so loud within my heart and mind. Then I began the process over the next 24 hours where my own fear would destroy any hope of friendship, thus relinquishing me from being vulnerable anymore. Not the smartest way of handling the situation, I know. I should have run to God; but, unfortunately, once those walls are broken we tend to try to hide those feelings from even God. Of course my fear was not only will this friend find out that I am not superwoman; but they will discover my weakness as well. Don’t tell me you have never done anything similar. I had been there before. So, this was nothing new—only I did not expect this particular emotional stumbling block. It had been so many years since I had felt this kind of loneliness. I believed that God had closed that wound forever—or, so I had thought.
photography courtesy of Dr. Rene Sullivan and used by permission
In this journey we are surrounded by a dark sea of turmoil from the evils surrounding us in this world. Illness, disappointments, sorrows, violence, death, financial turmoil, and job performance demands all press in from outside us. Then from deep within is all the brokenness of our hearts, our longing for acceptance, our pride, our feelings of mediocrity, and our sense of inadequacy. There would be no hope were God to have left us in our broken state; but, He did not.
There are no self help books that can cure us. There is no amount of positive thinking that can fix the heart of the problem and one will awaken in the middle of the night alone with that feeling of desperation. God knows that the problem is our hearts inability to see Him in all His Glory, thus our inability to desire Him as we should or to realize He is our only treasure. Christ came to suffer and die that we might have new life and we might become living stones. God’s Grace is the light that we need out of this darkness. He knows that the void within our hearts can only be filled by His love, His Glory and His Joy. He is ever so patient as He step by step removes the scars and chafe from each of us who know Him as our Savior. Peter knew this oh too well. That is why, he urges us to long after the milk of the word, if we have tasted that God is good.
I Peter 2 (NIV) “3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood …9 you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
As for me, recovery came very quickly this time. Only now can I see how the scar had been still affecting my life and had to be reopened so as I could grow in Christ and the scar be healed. I cannot tell you how much peace and joy I now feel—restored. The past two days have been remarkable—every sermon I have heard were God’s words to this weary heart. There was even a song this morning which I heard for the first time which was perfectly the prayer in my own heart. Can I tell you with a certainty that this will be the last time I fall or fail? I doubt it; but, this I know that the final victory has already been won by Christ and that in him, I am redeemed, loved, chosen, and made righteous. There is no condemnation. I pray the dear one I injured also finds the same peace I have found; but, knowing that God is Sovereign and God is Good, I trust His plan is to prosper them as well. He has used them to help me and I am certain He has a blessing for them.
Listen to the words of this song “I Shall Not Want” and let it be your prayer as well.
It is because of His Goodness and His kindness that I have in Him all that I could ever need or want.
Psalm 23 (KJV) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
New International Version(NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
©2014 Effie Darlene Barba
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