It's by His Grace .... it's in His Power ... it's for His Glory

This morning I started reading 2 Thessalonians, I read chapter 1 and I found myself resting in two precious truths.  The first is the blessed assurance of that day to come, when my Lord returns - to be praised, marveled at, admired and glorified by all who have believed and called upon the Lord to be saved.

I love days when I grasp the truth that He is returning!  Or better said, when this truth really grasps me and takes hold of me.  I try to make them many, but honestly find myslef more temporaly focussed, living in the here and now and maybe at best with a touch of eternity.  But what a joy it is when I go thru a day or at least a part of it living with great expectation and hope that all this is indeed just a glimpse, there is a day coming, maybe today :)!  

But if not today or tomorrow, I know that there is more to life than just living out my days.  This is a time that is ordained by God in which He is actively sanctifiying me, equipping me and empowering me to fulfill all my desires of goodness, all that is pleasing to Him and all that is for the work that He desires to accomplish in me and through me.  This is the second truth I found myself resting in.  It is in and thru Him, His power that is at work in me and for me ... it is not in my strength.  I love to plan to do good things, but when I try to do them in my own strength I know I am going to come up short and get burnt out along the way.  Yet when my focus is on Christ and I am crying out to Him for His leading and strengthening, I will be filled and He will fullfill all my desires for goodness, those He has given me, and the acts prompted by the faith  He has given to me.

My prayer for today is that He would increase my faith, lead me and empower me to act on the desires He has set on my heart and that He would receive the glory.  And with that prayer answered I know that I will live in the joy of the Lord, whether today is that day or not.