And I will bring the blind

And I will bring the blind by a way [that] they knew not; I will lead them in paths [that] they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. (Isaiah 42:16)
The incredible love of the Father shines upon His children bringing them out of their evil darkness and into His glorious light. His light guides His people through the shadows of death. And through the grave difficulties of their lives, they are brought into places of indescribable peace and joy. As believers of Christ, we are promised this ever-present light that will lead us into the gracious sanctuary of the Lord. In this we can find hope in an everlasting rest.

The Initial Grace of God

The Initial Grace of God"I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more"…For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Jeremiah 31:34 and Ephesians 2:8-9)Again, we have the opportunity to compare justifying grace and sanctifying grace, initial grace and ongoing grace. This is always an edifying and valuable exercise, since we tend to forget that we are sanctified through the same means that we are justified.The initial grace that impacted our lives forever was the justifying, forgiving grace of God. The prophets of old proclaimed this hope. The writers of the New Testament related it to us today. "I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more" (Jeremiah 31:34; also in Hebrews 8:12). When we repented of our sins and called upon the name of the Lord, we were forgiven and justified, declared not guilty and righteous in His sight.This saving work of God on our behalf was all accomplished by the grace of God. "For by grace you have been saved." The saving grace of God is applied to lives as they trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. "By grace you have been saved through faith."None of this process originates in man. All of it comes from God. "And that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." No aspect of salvation derives from the efforts of man, so no one will ever be able to brag about their contribution in being saved. "Not of works, lest anyone should boast." All glory, now and forever, will go to the Lord Himself. "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31).Yes, even faith does not source in man. Jesus is "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). When we believed upon the Lord Jesus, it was in response to an authoring, revealing work that He was doing on our behalf. Jesus manifested Himself to us through the gospel as One who was able to save us sinners. The Holy Spirit was convicting us of our need. We trusted in His saving work for us. Thereby, He authored faith in us. "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing" (Revelation 5:12).As we have seen previously (and will have opportunity to examine again and again), the grace of God, of which we partook for new birth and justification, is the same grace that must continually be at work in us for growth and sanctification.O Lord God of my salvation, I clearly see the full extent to which my being saved depended upon Your saving grace! Thank You for this priceless gift of grace. How glorious it is to stand justified in Your sight. Now that I might grow daily in a life of sanctification, I look to You and Your necessary grace, Amen.

Behold, I give unto you power

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)The compelling blood of Christ offers great power to Christians as they fight this spiritual battle against evil. By the magnificent name of Jesus Christ, we can conquer all things and nothing shall destroy us! We are victorious because Christ is with us; therefore, no one could possibly be against us (Romans 8:31).

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, [ye are] God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:9)

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, [ye are] God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:9)Once we have devoted our lives to Christ, we become a working part to further the kingdom of God. We are His field that He cultivates as we produce fruits for His glory. We are the structure of His building as He resides in our hearts. Yet, we are only His field and building by the grace of God. The triumph of Christ over death allows us to be used to His glory. After all, to be used of Christ is one of the greatest blessings in the Christian life.

But we believe that through the grace

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (Acts 15:11)Sweet is the aroma of such a glorious salvation as ours. When once we bloated in our spiritual death-rot, we now stand cleansed and brilliant, arrayed in robes of purest white and crowned with life eternal. We were dead. We were destined for death everlasting.. Yet now, believer rejoice! For our destiny is life never-ceasing!

[[A Song of degrees.]] I will lift up mine eyes

[[A Song of degrees.]] I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (Psalms 121:1-2)From the high places that surround us come every foe and bandit, seeking to destroy us and make of nothing our faith. How can we stand against such villainy? Where are we to turn for aid in the spiritual war in which all the children of God are engaged? Turn to the Lord. He is your help. The creator of heaven and earth who holds power over every living thing will protect His child from every spiritual harm. Take comfort and love Christ.

And we know that all things work together

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. (Romans 8:28)All things. Every circumstance. The entire realm of possible events. All of these conspire toward a single goal: the good of the Redeemed! Whether trial or blessing, whether great joy or greater sorrow, whether prosperity or suffering, every last detail in the universe works together for the benefit of God's children!

Law and Grace, Old Covenant and New Covenant

Law and Grace, Old Covenant and New CovenantThe LORD gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant…For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ…"This cup is the new covenant in My blood." (Deuteronomy 9:11; John 1:17, and Luke 22:20)In our meditations upon law and grace, we have also been considering (though not yet mentioning) the principal characteristics of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. When the Lord wrote the message of His law upon stone tablets for Moses, He was prescribing the terms of the Old Covenant. "The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant." When Jesus came into the world to die on the cross, the Lord was establishing the New Covenant. "This cup is the new covenant in My blood."These two covenants of law and grace present one of the major contrasting themes in the word of God. "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." Understanding the differences between these two covenants is of utmost importance for living the Christian life as God intends.God's law tells us that He desires holiness to characterize the way we live. Only God's grace can provide such godliness in our lives. God's law tells us that He wants Christlike love to permeate our attitudes and relationships. Only God's grace can develop such love in us. God's law tells us that He desires the perfections of the Father to be growing in us. Only God's grace is sufficient to carry out such a process of transformation.The law of God is the "what"; the grace of God is the "how". The law of God reveals sin; the grace of God forgives sin. The law of God indicates man's problem; the grace of God provides God's remedy. The law of God demands performance by man; the grace of God offers provision from God. The law of God is the standard; the grace of God is the means. The law of God is the spiritual measuring rod that evaluates lives; the grace of God is the nurturing resource that produces spiritual life. The law of God tells us of the character of God; the grace of God reproduces that character in us. The law of God is the effect God wants to see; the grace of God is the cause that brings forth that effect.Lord God of truth, help me to rightly divide Your truth. Enlighten my spiritual understanding that I might increasingly grasp the differences between law and grace. Show me the full implications of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Your word impresses me with the enormous significance of these issues. Thank You for Your patience concerning my negligence or confusion on these matters. O Lord, I earnestly desire to live a righteous and holy life. Teach me the path of humble dependence upon Your glorious grace, through Jesus, my Lord and my life, Amen.

HEALED

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. (Hosea 14:4)
Praise be to God that He, in the midst of our depravity, drew us to Him with the sweet chords of His melodious grace. We were wretched and iniquitous, yet He chose to love us freely. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, provider of our salvation and promise of hope!

Behold, what manner of love

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1 John 3:1)

Did you know that you are loved by the Creator of the Universe? Regardless of who we are, God loves us and is willing to adopt us as sons and daughters. All we have to do is allow Jesus to be our Lord. Do not be surprised if people mock you once you become a believer. They do not understand God's love for them, and therefore, cannot understand your love for God.