Wednesday was a good day. A really good day.
Between 3:30pm and 6:00pm…
- I left work a little bit early.
- The sun was shining.
- The song I wanted to buy on iTunes was only 69 cents!!!
- When I went to get gas, a spot opened up the second I pulled into the parking lot.
- I received some random good news.
- I had time for a run in the snow.
- On my way home from running, the sky was purple <3
- I thought my final undergrad GPA was 3.9392.. putting me .0008 away from Summa Cum Laude. I got an email saying it was actually 3.9407. Score.
I was praising Jesus for all of this when I caught myself thinking about my morning devotions. My thought process went something like this: Wow, it’s been a really great day… How long were my devotions this morning? Not very. Gosh, I wonder why it was such a good day then.
WHAT?!!?!
But wait a second, because it gets more ridiculous and disturbing. After realizing that I was trying to incorrectly connect good works to a good day, my next thought was: Jesus really does just LOVE me : ) I wonder why he decided to be so nice to me today.
WHAT?!!?!
Don’t worry, I was raised in the church. I’m fully aware that both of those thoughts are completely theologically unsound. In my head, that is. But sometimes, my heart gets confused.
Sometimes my heart thinks that I must earn the Lord’s favor when reality is I couldn’t earn it if I tried.
If we are not faithful, God will still be faithful, because he cannot be false to himself. 2 Timothy 2:13”
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Sometimes my heart thinks that Jesus isn’t always nice. That I have to control and manipulate to keep things okay. That not all things work together for my good after all. But they do.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8
Oh how much I have to learn. And then learn again. And again. And again.
How good it is to be loved by a God of “undeserved grace” (Acts 15:11) and “unlimited patience” (1 Timothy 1:16).
