It’s been a strange, unsteady kind of year. My imagined future is constantly shifting.
Foggy Delusions
I am tempted to hold my breath and wait. To survive the present so I can “get my life back.” My foggy delusions obscure reality.
I forget that in this moment of sickness and seeming poverty, I am actually whole, rich and free. I am clothed in the beauty Christ’s righteousness and my sins are forgiven because of His blood shed for me. I have an eternity of glory with the One I love most. Free to enjoy Him unencumbered by my sin and all that trips me up in this life. Surrounded by the great multitudes of believers who also revel in His holiness an grace. An inheritance unshakable.
From time to time I get a bad case of spiritual amnesia. I am foolishly waiting for what is already mine.
Thankfully, God’s grace is greater than my spiritual blindness. It is greater than lethargy, depression and stupidity. He is faithful when I am not.
Finding Happiness in God
It’s becoming quite clear to me that being optimistic about our circumstances is not the same thing as finding happiness in God.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s a wonderful thing to see the positives in our situations and to be thankful for the little things. But being optimistic and positive about life’s curveballs can feel a little trite when you are in the trenches. It’s kind of like the parent who tells their kid to “eat their broccoli because some kid somewhere in the world doesn’t have anything to eat.” It’s true, but it doesn’t make the broccoli taste any better.
He wants to He wants us to “taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8).
As Jonathan Edwards said, “There is a difference between having an opinion that God is holy and gracious, and having a sense of the loveliness and beauty of that holiness and grace.” (A Divine and Supernatural Light)
For me, this is where the rubber meets the road. No matter my circumstances, I can taste the loveliness and beauty of God. Looking back to what Christ has accomplished in the gospel for me and looking forward to the fulfillment of His promises.
For those who have eyes to see, He can be found. His Son, Jesus Christ, has made Him known. He has revealed himself in His word, in history, in his people and in nature. Glimpses of His grace and glory are painted boldly for our feeble eyes to see.
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)
So wonderful. This is exactly what I needed to read this week. Thank you. š
Thanks for the encouraging words, Becky. Hope you have a grace-filled week. š