grace.

I am absolutely astonished with the Grace of God. Yes, I feel as though it is a proper noun and if I could write the phrase as a whisper or as a symbol, I would. That's how respectful I am of the power that it holds.

My walk with God is rocky. I challenge. I pout. I throw tantrums. I try to make deals. I do it my way. I have ended up in the belly of a big whale. I made a mistake. I disobeyed. I haven't even said I am sorry for what I've done, and what blows me away is that even as I sit here in the belly of a whale in spiritual time out, God's Grace is poured out on me in insurmountable quantities. EVEN THOUGH I screwed up royally, God has put the right people in front of me to make all situations right again, and I am literally drowning in the grace that has been poured over me. It's absolutely indescribable. Maybe one day, after this whole thing is said and done, I'll be able to talk about the whole experience. Let's make sure I learn the lesson first.

Isaiah 43:1 "I have called you by My name, you are Mine, God says. When you pass through the waters I will be with you and through the rivers they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire you will not be scorched, nor will the flames burn you for I am the Lord your God, the holy one of Israel, your Savior." God doesn't promise no waters and no rivers and no fires, He just promises to be there when we're going through. Even when we are in the wrong. Even when we have sinned against Him, even when we disobey. Because when you are a child of the King, he covers you up in His love no matter what. It's been hard for me to accept that. I think I'm starting to do better.

And you're never going to know it, and you're never going to know the exhilaration of it and you're never going to know the thrill of it unless you can just rest in the suffering and let God pour out the grace. And you find yourself singing at the strangest places and times and you'll find a peace in your heart that knows no explanation and you find a joy that's disconnected from your circumstances because this grace is an energy that transforms. It's not in itself a static gift. Grace is an energy that chooses you. It's an energy of being flooded with blessing from God that alters your thinking...changes you, transforms you. - John MacArthur