Monday, July 5, 2010

THE HUMBLING EFFECT OF GOD’S GRACE

God makes a promise in 2 Chron. 7:14 (NIV) “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”.

God tells us how to respond to His grace in Rom. 2:4 (NAS) Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

God’s grace is so amazing it should completely humble us.

FOUR WAYS TO HUMBLY RESPOND TO GOD’S GRACE:

1. SERVE GOD AS YOUR ONLY GOD.
Jesus said in Matt. 6:24a (Amp) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other.”

If we serve God we must serve Him in every area of our lives. Serve Him in all your relationships, in the morning, throughout the day, at night, in your public life, and in your private life. We either serve God or we don’t. To serve Him is to worship Him. If I’m not serving Him in all areas of my life, then He’s not really being worshipped by me.

2. LOOK AT GOD’S CREATION.
Whenever God wanted to encourage His people, He would direct their attention to His creation around them and remind them that He had made it all. (Isa. 40). To acknowledge the Lord God as the Creator of all things is a great source of strength and peace.

He is actively involved in His creation. He sees when a sparrow falls to the ground. Matt. 10:29 (NLT) Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. He has counted all the stars and named them. Psa. 147:4 (NLT) He counts the stars and calls them all by name. He cares for His creation and you’re at the top of His list.

3. OBEY GOD FROM THE HEART.
Nehemiah in chapter 9 tells us how the nation responded to all that God had done for them. They refused to submit to His authority, or listen to His Word, or obey His will. The question is, “How could they turn their backs on God after all He had done for them?” The answer is, “They didn’t really love Him from their hearts.” What obedience they gave was only external; it wasn’t from the heart. In their hearts they were still living in Egypt and wanted to go back there.

To get in on God’s goodness, we must love Him from our hearts. Our hearts must be His. Not just our actions, but our hearts must belong to Him. Everything in our hearts is given up for Him.

4. SURRENDER TO GOD.
We can’t always change our consequences but we can bow to the Lord in them. We can submit to Him in the middle of it all. We must surrender ourselves to Him as our ultimate Ruler and continually seek His counsel through the consequences.

The good news is that He will guide you and give you answers even through the discipline He has placed on you. Heb 12:11 (NLT) No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Think about the God we serve. He is a glorious God. He is powerful. He is faithful. He is forgiving. He is loving. He is longsuffering with us. He is generous. He disciplines us if we rebel. This God that we serve certainly deserves our loving obedience.