The oldest lie

The ancient lie is that God is mean.

When I see spring blossom bowing down the branches, I catch a glimpse of the abundance of God. But today it’s raining and the blossom is bedraggled. When spring is in the air and there’s a spring in my step, it’s easy to trust God’s abundance. But at the weekend, I hurt my neck. Tossing and turning in pain in the night, lies are amplified in the dark.

I have to remember that the brokenness never comes from him; he is the mender. And it is precisely at our places of pain and fear and shame that God promises that his grace is more than enough. Abundantly more.

The big question is whether I will receive such grace, whether I will dare to welcome God into the dark, to come to him for comfort, to receive his hope for that situation that tempts me to despair, to put my trust in his generous love again. Paul tells us that those who reign in life are those who RECEIVE the abundance of God’s grace (Romans 5:17).

Could you take some time today to do just that?

Jesus never promised ease but he did promise abundance – not a niggardly teaspoon but a feast of abundant life, (John 10:10), abounding good works (2 Cor 9:8) and lavish love (1 John 3:1).  That’s the truth.