Oh the powerful, beautiful WORD of God. Hope indescribable, joy inexpressible. The WORD of God. The only eternal literature...... This morning I am thinking on Ephesians 2:10. Here is that passage in a few translations and a paraphrase (my own added emphasis);
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
" For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
"Now God has us
where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to
shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his
idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift
from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d
probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we
neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates
each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good
work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing."
WOWZA! Amazing. Not much more really needs to be said. And often times someone wiser has already said it better anyway.... So here are two quotes that I have posted reminding me of this truth;
"Faith isn't flashy, it's not loud. Faith isn't an overwhelming sense of well-being that everything will turn out okay. Faith is knowing that God is good even though circumstances may seem to say otherwise. It's not believing that your plans match God's plans. It's not even approving God's plan. Faith is quiet, and sturdy; almost stubborn. It is the unshakeable knowledge that God is, and He rewards those who diligently seek Him. It's Job's unwavering trust in God "though He slay me, yet I will trust Him." It's Paul's request that the thorn be removed, God's answer of "no", and his continued life of service. It's an infinite response to a finite condition or problem. It's the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Author Unknown
"Into all our lives, in many simple, familiar, homely ways, God infuses this element of joy from the suprises of life, which unexpectedly brighten our days, and fill our eyes with light. He drops this added sweetness into his children's cup, and makes it to run over. The success we were not counting on, the blessing we were not trying after, the strain of music in the midst of drudgery, the beautiful morning picture or sunset glory thrown in as we pass to or from our daily buisness, the unsought word of encouragement or expression of sympathy, the sentence that meant for us more than the writer or speaker thought,-these and a hundred others that are every one's experience can supply are instances of what I mean. You may call it accident or chance -it often is; you may call it human goodness -it often is; but always, always call it God's love. For that is always in it. These are the overflowing riches of His grace, these are His free gifts."
S. Longfellow
This morning as a new day dawns on freshly fallen snow, I anticipate with open hands all the good things the Lord has in store, and together Nate and I walk (not run, not tip tow.....) walk in confidence that the Lord who has guided us this far goes before and has much more exciting things in store.
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