“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
It’s the big story. The main event. All 66 books, all 1949 pages of my study Bible, thousands of years of history… By grace I have been saved. Why? “Because of his great love for us” (vs. 4).
Throughout the Old Testament I see the pattern: God provides. Life is good. People forget God and turn away from Him. Bad things happen. People cry out to God. God saves them. Repeat.
I am definitely familiar with this pattern. In some ways I go through this pattern in a matter of hours or days. In other ways I can see the pattern in terms of years. In times of trouble, I have faith that God will not abandon me. Like the Psalmist, I remember God’s faithfulness in the past (verses 1-3), I ask for it in the present (4-7) , and I look forward to it in the future (8-13).
“Restore us again, O God our Savior,
and put away your displeasure toward us. […]
Show us your unfailing love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.”
Psalm 85:4a,7
Thank you, Lord, that you never gave up on me, and you never will. Thank you for your unfailing love.
Sue
Sixty-six books in a year 