So returning home causes me to ask the question. What's changed? The biggest thing is knowing God is pleased with me. As my Father He's crash hot about me and His Son thinks I rock. That's not a proud or arrogant statement, it's simply knowing that God loves me. What's even better, is it isn't about how well I do things, His love isn't about performance. What father causes his children perform before he loves or enjoys them? He simply wants his children in his presence.
Living in that reality brings a profound change in life. No longer am I striving to perfect every last shred of my life before I receive His acceptance. Maybe you think He requires your perfection, or that your sins have separated you from His presence. That's scripture but let me ask you, are you seeking Him with all your heart? If so then I would refer you to "Love covers a multitude of sins." Paul tells us we have junk but the solution is to reckon or decide not to yield to it. He tells us what we think is key to how we live. Do you want to live more? Believe that God's grace and acceptance is greater than your sin.
God is not looking for you to work out your hardest problems before He receives you. He's waiting for you to invite Him into your deepest mess. Get up on His lap and invite Him to help you work it out. As you do believe that His grace is bigger than you sins and experience His royalty at work in you. So I sum up the last six months in a message from a friend I caught eyes with on Sunday, "Your countenance lifted my spirit!" The radiance of your face comes from deep inside. The more you live in the reality of God's grace upon your life, the brighter your countenance.
