Grace

Law demands.  Grace bestows. 

Law commands but gives no strength to obey.  Grace promises and performs, doing all we need to do. 

Law burdens and casts downs and condems.  Grace comforts and makes strong and glad. 

Law appeals to self to do its utmost.  Grace points to Christ to do all things. 

Law calls forth effort and strain and urges us toward a goal we can never reach. 

Grace works in us all of God's blessed will.  ~Andrew Murray

As 2009 ended I was continually pondering fasting:  its benefits, what the WORD says about it, Jesus did it and I want to be like him, so I should do it to.  They were great thoughts!  But everytime I tried, I failed.  I came across a great e-book and the author (Mike Bickle @ Internation House of Prayer in Kansas City) said something that turned my fasting world upside down.  Grace...Grace for fasting.  I know about the whole grace vs law issue, but I had never thought to pray for grace in the specific areas in my life I knew that my Abba daddy was calling me to walk in.  I just thought "I walk in grace."  Obviously, I did not or was not walking in the fullness of it, or maybe the specificness of grace. 

At the beginning of the year the Lord said to me, "Tithe to me the first 37 days of 2010 from sugar and begin a weekly fast for one 24 hour period.  BUT, ask for MY grace to do it.  I have a well of grace for you as you learn to walk in this discipline."  I am on day 15, and I have discovered that I am not fasting, when I fast it is a work, but HE is fasting thru me by the result of HIS grace, NOT my works!  Wow, that was great revelation. 

Last night I made a commitment, crazy probably considering all my daily responsibilites, but I made it none the less.  Kendall and I commited to get through the whole P90X (extreme homework out, for those of you who don't know what it is) before we leave for China in April.  As we began, one of his friends told him he had a blog called The Ultimate P90X Group and was challenging people to read the whole bible in that same 90 day period as you are doing P90X.  For our body it tempory but our soul is eternal.  Yes, we need to take care of our earthly temples but NOT at the expense of our spiritual health.  I woke this morning and as I was drinking my coffee, the Lord said, "Ask me for the grace for this as well, it is a good thing...when it is your works it becomes legalistic, but it is grace that sustains, it draws you into more intimacy with me."  I want to walk in specific grace, grace for the moment, grace for the day...abundant, vibrant grace.  Things, that with my natural eyes I have no ability to do, with GRACE I can do.  It is no longer a burden, an addition to my "to-do list," NO it becomes a JOY!  "Grace undertakes to work our whole life in us, and actually give us strength for every moment for whatever Father would have us be and do." ~Andrew Murray