Why I Believe (Pt. 2)

God's Saving Grace 

“I had only heard about you before, 

but now I have seen you with my own eyes.” 

Job 42:5

I came to know God in my early years, I heard about His great love for me and how He chose me to be in a relationship with Him.  The tiny seedling of my faith grew with this knowledge and, nourished by His love, the roots entered the fertile soil of my life.  But then, as happens to all of us, the storms of life came.  I was surprised by the challenges that I suddenly faced, though I should have looked at them as opportunities to grow, for God’s word tells us that we all will endure trials at one time or another. 

 

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3).

However, during that time, I made a nearly fatal mistake.  When difficulties hit me and my life spun out of control, I didn’t turn to the only One who could strengthen, comfort and guide me.  Instead, I allowed the seductive lure of this world to draw me into the wilderness where a sinful choice nearly destroyed my life.  I lost sight of my Father.  But God, in His faithfulness, never lost sight of me. 

To put it plainly and simply, God saved my life.  He pulled me out of the pit in which I had fallen and healed me. He restored my marriage and mended my family torn apart by the agonizing folly of my sin.  And for this, I am forever grateful.  In “A Life Saved”, I write more about the depth of my sorrow and painful journey during my time in the wilderness.  But, even though that time was painful, it was in the wilderness that I grew to trust Him.  When I realized God had not let me go, I relaxed into the strong arms of my Savior.  When placing all my sins, my grief and my pain at His feet, He placed His healing hand upon me.  Though He brought consequences into my life that tore at my heart, it was through these consequences that I learned just how deep His love for me is.

“But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin. For though He wounds, He also bandages.  He strikes, but His hands also heal” (Job 5:17-18).

My God is great!  He brought me through the fire and made me new.  And just like the seed which only opens through the flame, my heart fully opened to God through His refining fire.  When I surrendered my will to God and allowed Him to take complete control, my life turned around.  Yes, I have seen miracles, for I have come to know the incredible saving grace of God.   I have learned that no matter how far we fall, we are never beyond His reach.  God can and will redeem us when we turn our lives completely over to Him. 

Since that time in my life, I have faced other challenges, both large and small.  But, I have come to look at the trials and dilemmas that sometimes enter my life as opportunities to turn to God for strength.  It was through my wilderness time that I learned to fully trust my Father.  And now I know, that no matter where God leads me, or what storms I will face, He will never leave my side.  He is my Savior and to Him I owe my life.

Living for Him,

Post Script:  As difficult as it is to reveal this part of my testimony, I believe that sharing what God has taught me through this time in my life is too important not to tell.  My prayer is that someone somewhere will read the words I have written above and be encouraged.  You are never beyond the love of God.  No matter what you have done or where you have come from, He is there, patiently waiting for you to come to Him.  When you surrender your life to Him He will bless you in ways you never imagined and you will find the peace that your hurting soul is longing for.