Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord ,According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:1-4
In the quiet moments alone, do you ever look back over your life and cry? Have you ever felt misunderstood? With a heart full of love, you so wanted to do or say the right thing; but, every word seemed to be misinterpreted and in the end you feel alone and rejected. At the end of the day you end up with so many “would haves”, “could haves”, or “should haves.” Maybe, it has to do with a diet you failed again. Maybe, it had to do with a financial decision you now regret. Whatever the reason, have you ever come to the end of the day and wondered if there is any purpose for you? Have you ever wondered whether any of it matters? Your joy is gone, your hope is gone and your only prayer is that when the morning breaks, peace and joy will have returned. Yet, your sorrow is worse because you feel that you have failed God once more. You hope that “knowledge that you are loved” will once more fill your heart with song, if only you could feel that again. So what do you do?
My time in Springfield was a time to heal the brokenness inside. Beyond having met and known new friends who accepted me as I was; there was also the time alone to reflect upon my life. It actually was when I first began to write about my life. Writing was a way that I could reflect and writing pushed me even further to search the scripture to discover the promises of God. Promises that could restore my heart whenever I felt broken, lonely, unloved, and unworthy. Too often, I would find myself in that state at the end of the day. Yet, it was those feelings that drove me to the scriptures even more and drove me to my knees a lot. One scripture that can restore hope in those times is this one from 2 Peter.
ASPECTS OF GOD’S LOVE
As I have pointed out over this series there are many Glorious Aspects to God’s love for us. His love is unconditional. His love is like that of a protective Father guiding, comforting us, and providing for us. His love is sacrificial; having given His most precious son to suffer and die that we might be save. His love is compassionate, always understanding the depth of our own frailty. His love is forgiving, full of mercy and grace. Another aspect I needed to learn was that His love is sustaining. His love sustains us—anchoring us to Him. He provides for us peace, comfort. As we begin to understand the depth of His Sustaining Future Grace which provides for us according to His Precious Promises toward us; then, we are able to soar above all the trials with peace in our hearts, knowing we are His Beloved.
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD’S SUSTAINING LOVE
1. My faith is founded upon His Righteousness. Look at these words again, “obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ”. I have obtained (been given freely) faith based upon His righteousness (not my own.) Whenever I take my eyes off of Jesus, I will begin to sink into the waters around me. To restore my faith, I need to keep my eyes upon Him.
2. The more I know of God, the greater is my peace. “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.” I cannot hope to have peace or fully realize how great is His Grace if I never take time to read His word and be alone in His presence through prayer.
3. He has equipped us with everything we need to perform the tasks He has for us. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness”. It is His power in me that WILL accomplish what He has planned for in my life pertaining to life and godliness. He will transform me into the vessel He desires and use it as He chooses.
4. He chose me and He will complete His work in me. “through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” It may be through some very dark trials that He must take this rebel’s heart to get me there; but, He will complete the transformation of my heart to one of glory and virtue. One day I will look like Jesus; even, if I don’t today.
5. We who know Christ as our Savior can be assured that we “are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises”. Within the promises of God are those of future Grace which will provide for each moment. Moment by moment His Grace and love are there to sustain us. Have you ever sat down to search for and write down God’s promises to you for every circumstance you face? Try it. Whatever you are facing ask God to help you find the scripture you need; then, wait, watch and read scripture. He will reveal it to you. Then keep a journal of scriptures for each trial. When you face a trial, pull out your journal and read the scripture again in a prayer.
6. By knowing His promises and spending time just getting to know God better, you will become “partakers of the divine nature” of God.
7. And by all that I will have “escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
So God sustaining love provides His Future Grace for every moment of my life. He will finish the work He began in me. I can either know peace and joy by focusing on Him, through His word, His promises and through prayer; or not. Whenever, I feel sorrow, frustration, or self-loathing; I can choose to focus on me and stay miserable; or I can focus on Him and know joy. Which do you choose?
The song I chose for you today is “One Thing Remains”
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.