I am convinced of a few things in this life. Unwilling to move from the validity of their fullness, the truth that seeps from the acknowledgment of them.  They are bound to my soul, anchored by a force much  bigger than me.  And they are the light that leads through the journey. They are my answer, most often the very first thing I say in any situation.

God is good and Jesus is the Truth and we don’t have to strive for grace.

While that may seem obvious to you, a truism, an absolute.  There are moments in this journey where my faith has wavered in ways that would have left me stripped of hope and devoid of joy if not for these fundamental beliefs.

And maybe, the simple truth is that grace is bound up in the affirmation of what they mean and without either there is no place for grace to grow in us.

God is good..

“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all He has made.” – Psalm 145:9

And because He is good, I know He is for me

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”- Romans 8:28

It is written right there in Romans 8, scribed in the Psalms repeatedly, witnessed in the miracle of His mercies every single day,  and layered in His Word as a reminder to our amnesia-soaked minds. Genesis reminds us that his measure of completeness is bound to the declaration He called good.

Goodness is the characteristic that forever reminds me of God’s grace. Because His goodness is the completing in us that works all these things that are hard and confusing and difficult together with the hoped-for walked-out-by-faith prayers we are praying.

If I can’t hold on to this promise… that He is good and  because He is good, I know He is for me… the foundation of my hope feels faulty. And those prayers I pray are empty.  And these words  I write are like ash, wasted and futile.

But His Word it reminds us that goodness is the character that exudes from Him. (1 Tim 4:4)

It is a fruit of the work of His Spirit in us. (Galatians 5:22)

It is His will for us. (1 Peter 2:15)

“Only God is truly good.”- Luke 18:19

Jesus is the Truth.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.”- John 14:16

Because  He is the Truth, the Way, the Life, I know that His way is the best way.

“In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.” – John 1:1-2

Not only is He the Truth, the Way, and the Life, but He is the Word made alive to dwell with us.

“And the Word (Christ) became flesh…human, incarnate… and tabernacled among us, and we actually saw His glory, (such glory as the only begotten of the Father), full of grace.”-John 1:14

And this Truth is not subjected to the understanding of men, the trials we attempt to place against it in mock debate.  No, this Truth is objective. That is why it is more than an assurance I place my faith upon, it is an immovable absolute that can never be changed. It is because of God’s goodness… the unsearchable depth of His righteous character, which is always good..that He reveals to us the mystery of Christ. It is the validity of who He is..the reality that truth is Christ and Christ is truth and goodness and grace prevail through the knowledge and acceptance of this.

Because out of his goodness we are ordained to be adopted,  for the glory of His grace,  accepted and beloved, from the abundance of His wisdom as He reveals that the mystery of His will  for us is Christ.  ( Ephesians 1:5-9)

“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great; He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”-1 Timothy 3:16

The past 6 months have been a season of wandering for me. A temporary existence that seems in a constant state of motion. It feels like the only thing that is consistent is the inconsistency that has consumed so much of my time. And though I have never been a deeply organized person, I dwell in the details.  When the pattern of the days are scripted for mere survival, details seem superfluous and excess is just one more thing to create chaos in the midst of the busy that seems to consume a life on the go. And I find myself striving to survive and grace seems far-fetched, but we are not meant to strive for  what is given freely.

Sometimes there are things unspoken, prayers unbidden deep in the recess of our soul, and hopes waiting to surface  that can’t be vocalized, unleashed, or discovered unless we first go through the valleys and the forests.

These moments ought to provoke a longing for the purpose that pushes us to go deeper with God, to look further into the mystery of His presence, into the miracle of His gift to our seeking souls. Especially when our obligations and our wants collide.

Personally, if I had not fully believed the axioms of faith that have held me desperately close to the Cross of Christ  daily… walking more by faith than by sight…I would undoubtedly bend beneath the weight of every burden.  I’ve wondered, as I’ve wandered, what His purpose is in the trials of indecision, of how I am inexplicably bound to bounce into grace along the way. And I think that is exactly the glorious part of the miraculous in the unexplainable…. this manifestation of grace right in the mist of the holy messes we wade through. It’s the affirmation of goodness and the seal of his handiwork in it all.

Grace is His fingerprint, it is His signature, it is  His sealed stamp of unbroken love for us. That’s why I look for these moments so religiously…seeking the mystery revealed in His graces.

And the beauty is that our wandering hearts, because of His goodness, are bound to His grace and tied to His truth. Because Goodness and Truth are irrevocably connected to His grace and His being, we are never left striving for purpose when we are seeking hard after God.

He will purpose for us, no less than what He reveals to us in His Word, by His Spirit, through the Son. We can put one foot in front of the other and continue doing what must be done even if it feels like the antithesis to our existence. And maybe our purpose is always just to have the faith to say, “Yes.. Lord. Today and tomorrow, I will say, Yes and Amen.”, even when it feels automated.

Maybe especially so.  Because God is good, because Jesus is the Truth, because we can trust Him to meet us where we are, always. And in that space we’ll find the purpose revealed in the glory of His amazing grace. Always.

Praying for you in the journey today, that you will see His goodness and know a measure of His Truth in such a way that the mystery of Christ revealed in you becomes the passionate purpose you are called to.

IT’S YOUR TURN TO BE A GRACE COUNTER!  SHARE YOUR GRACE MOMENT IN THE COMMENTS BELOW AND THEN COUNT GRACE WITH A FRIEND WITH COMMENT ON A BLOG OR TWO.

If you are a blogger, link up here with  a post about finding grace moments in your life or one of your favorite inspiring and encouraging posts from this week. Share your thoughts in the comment section telling me about the #Grace Moments you experienced this week. *(only 1 post per link please)*

Take time to visit your neighbor next to you, and if you want visit a few more friends on the journey. We all need a little encouragement and affirmation as we travel together.

If you don’t have a blog, you can connect with me via my Journeys in Grace FB page by sharing a photo or a comment.  Or you can join the party by sharing your images on Instagram with #Gracemoments hashtag.

Each week I will  try visit as many of your amazing  posts as I can.This is a safe place to sit and dwell in grace together, friends. I can’t wait to pour a cup of friendship with you and take in the grace moments you have to share. Don’t forget to leave a comment below, I love to hear from you.

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There will not be a link up next week as we observe the Thanksgiving Holiday (11/23)with our families.  My prayer is that your week will be full of many #gracemoments as you spend time together with your people.   I am so grateful for you and look forward to sharing with you again in 2 weeks. (11/30)

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