A Holy Lord
I walked, clutching my little spiral book of index cards filled with my memory verses, reciting those I had already learned by heart:
“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” Psalm 32: 1,2 (NLT)
I thought about living life in complete honesty. Am I living that way? Do I come before the Lord with open heart and confess my sins – even the ones hidden in the darkest corners of my heart?
I have not always done so, but these days I do – knowing that there is nothing hidden from Him. I find it easy to tell the Lord about the ways I have sinned and to ask for His forgiveness. There is such joy in knowing that all is right between me and Him.
But as I thought more about this business of living in complete honesty, I wondered if there wasn’t a casualness that I needed to be wary of. I don’t ever want to take for granted the price that was paid so that I might be freed from the penalty of sin. Knowing that I have a Father who loves me lavishly and covers me with His grace makes it easy to repent, but I don’t ever want to forget who He is.
He is a holy and righteous God. His wisdom and power are beyond my understanding. He rules and reigns over all things. I am so small, and He is so great. Who am I that He should be mindful of me? I don’t ever want to take grace for granted, to continue doing things I know are not pleasing to Him because I know there is always forgiveness. Rather, the greatness of such love and the knowledge of who He is should compel me to walk in obedience to Him, to come into His presence with humility and fear.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” I John 3:1 (NIV)
Blessings,
Linda
Wow- your sentiments echo my thoughts today as well. He is so amazing. How blessed I am that He would choose to love me.
Such a wonderful post.
Amen! 🙂
Blessings, Linda. You hit us where we live once again!
One thing I value is authenticity. I’ve been trying to practice authentic living for years. In the beginning I found myself being way too casual in my relationship with God, but over time He has mellowed that bent in me. I wonder if we don’t somehow get casual when being honest or authentic in the hopes that it will lighten the mood a bit? Maybe we need to get used to the honesty – the authenticity. Grow up into it a bit…
Thanks for these words of grace and hope.
“I don’t ever want to take grace for granted, to continue doing things I know are not pleasing to Him because I know there is always forgiveness. Rather, the greatness of such love and the knowledge of who He is should compel me to walk in obedience to Him, to come into His presence with humility and fear.”
These are such wise words to ponder on. Thanks for sharing.
I love the NLT you are using, because it sure did bring it to life, as you were able to ponder living life “in complete honesty.” Wow, I’m still thinking about that. Thanks for this great post.
How true your words are Linda. We should never take God’s grace for granted. And honesty is the only way to come before Him. He already knows all about us.
Blessings,
Debbie
Amen to that, Linda. I sure don’t want to forget how high of a price our Lord paid up on Calvary. May I always be mindful of His sacrifice for me.
This is something I need reminded of frequently. I can sink into striving to please man without even realizing it sometimes. Living honestly, to me, means keeping my flesh in check!
Thank you, Linda.