“There is a land beyond this river of sweat and tears that few visit.
A soil undefiled by the tools and efforts of man.
But it is there, where my strivings cease, that I behold the beauty of YOUR grace.”
A soil undefiled by the tools and efforts of man.
But it is there, where my strivings cease, that I behold the beauty of YOUR grace.”
Observe the birds of the air that roam to and fro throughout the heavens. They soar across the meadow lands suspended only by the breadth of the Almighty. Reminisce and remember the summer kites that used to play in the great expanse. They neither strove nor toiled, yet they freely danced upon the afternoon breeze. See how the ships of the sea glide upon the highways of glass. They do not struggle to stay afloat, they do not swim with all their might, yet they stroll upon the untamed waters.
Now, if you would, please step back and observe mankind. They are jars of clay, made alive by GOD’S breath, saved by HIS precious blood. Yet they struggle with all their might. They tussle and toil, but to no avail. From the beginning of the end, mankind has thought GOD’S provision to be lacking, in need of our help. Yet all we gained was the knowledge of that which destroys us, and we lost the eternal beauty that was freely gifted to us. We traded gardens for wildernesses, streets of gold for roads that led to destruction.
Our Father, watching as we denied HIM and HIS provision, still had compassion on us and wrote on HIS heavenly calendar the day HE would send us HIS SON. The day we would all see HIS Grace.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
John 1:14-17
This grace goes far beyond what we can imagine. It’s not a “Get out of Jail Free” card. Rather, it is the everlasting kindness of GOD that HE shows to HIS beloved children. It began the moment our new life in HIM started, and will continue on evermore as we walk with HIM. Grace began at the cross, but it did not end there.
GOD continues to show us kindness in every breath we draw. As we live this second-life in HIM, HIS grace continues to be over us, bringing color to these precious paintings HE is finishing. But this kindness, though simple in its construction, is complex in its beauty. If we were to pause for a moment and observe the complexion of GOD’S grace, we would see a beauty that is contrary in every way to the beauty of this world. Do you see the mountains and the valleys? Do you taste the honey and the tears? Do you hear the songs and the groans? Do you feel the silk and the ashes. Do you smell the fire and the rain? With a little faith, it all is grace.
This beauty is not obtained through the sweat of man’s brow. It is not caught though it be chased by a thousand strong. It is a gift. Therefore our “striving” cannot be motivated by the hope of one day “earning”. For we will find in our endless pursuit that it grows farther and farther away. We must then rest in the Hands of the Father, performing HIS work by the power which HE supplies in grace.
It is hard sometimes to face the reality that we as humans are incapable of producing anything of worth on our own. The idea of dependency in regard to our worth and beauty can bring uncomfortable squirms to the body. But that is how we were created to function. We are vessels for substance, not the substance itself. We are the pen, not the ink. What makes us beautiful is that which lives inside of us, making itself visible through our actions and words. Without GOD’S SPIRIT living in us and working through us, we are unable to please HIM on our own. Try as we might, righteousness produced from our effort only serves the false idol we have made in our image. But thanks be to GOD, who yet still desires to use us to accomplish HIS work. HE has chosen these vessels of dust to be the conduit for HIS majesty, glory, and power. Though we are incapable of good on our own, through faith in HIM there is nothing that we cannot do.
We must be careful though, that we are not found a people committed to the works of GOD but not to a relationship with HIM. In Matthew 7, JESUS illustrates the fact that works without a relationship leads to the same fate as those with neither. These people had done the “works” of GOD, but had no relationship with HIM. All their striving and toil ended in the FATHER saying, “I never knew you, depart from me.” Therefore, it is through a relationship with HIM that we are saved. Works are still important, for we will all be judged by what we did and said. But HIS works are the result of faith in HIM. They are the fruit of a healthy relationship.
In our endless striving, we can miss the gift of having a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. We can miss how HE is working. We can miss HIS voice. We can fail to see that HE is actually trying to reveal a piece of HIS invisible SELF to us. It is the knowledge of GOD that will strengthen and deepen our relationship with HIM, thus increasing our faith in times of need. When GOD was leading the Israelites through the wilderness, HE fed them manna, so that they might know that provision for life comes only from HIM (Deut 8:3). Provision isn’t the result of toil, but the gift of grace. Our times of need are then an opportunity to see GOD move. A chance to experience HIS power and HIS wisdom. This doesn’t mean that HIS solution will always align with our desire, after-all HIS ways are much higher than our own. But it does mean that if we entrust ourselves into HIS hands, the outcome will always be for HIS glory and for our good.
So look at the birds of the air, look at the ships of the sea. Wait…for that gentle breeze to pick you up as it passes by. For it is there that you will behold the beauty of HIS grace.
Til we see HIS Face…
…Keep Waiting.
