I flipped aimlessly through a few Psalms and a passage here and there of Isaiah, my mind blurred the words that I had underlined and highlighted in past QT's and I began to feel tiny pangs of hopelessness.
BUT God slammed me with 2 verses that eventually cross-referenced to the passage below.
The verses were Psalm 25:10-11:
"All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great."
So here went my thought process:
"Indeed, my iniquities/sins envelope the self I know as wretched. BUT, my darling Lord and Savior... He's pardoned me of all my sin through Christ Jesus!! Not only because of His love for me... but for His name's sake? What... uhh... wait a minute..."
Then began my journey into John:
John 14:20-25
[20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
[21] But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
[22] If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
[23] He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
[24] If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
[25] But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
Confused with the meaning of the words I had read in 21-22 and 24, I read it over and over again until the words really sank into my heart.
Piece by piece:
- For the glory of God... in order for me to realize that I am to give glory unto God and to follow through in doing so, He forgave me of all my iniquities. He instilled in me, a light of truth that testifies of His forgiveness.
- If Jesus didn't speak his words of truth or perform the miracles he did, there wouldn't have been a chance for people to doubt, spite, and persecute him; there wouldn't be the opportunity for people to sinfully denounce him. This point is more expanded in the following blurb...
- For Christ's name sake, there was and will be persecution -- so that God may reveal His glory!
Hardships and suffering are purposeful and truly satiated with "unorthodox" blessings...
God's hand is upon us - therefore, because we depend on Him and seek to glorify Him through all challenges, we become vessels that cooperate with His intention to show the world His grace, love, and wonder! Our unwavering faith, survival, and growth inscribe testimonies of God within ourselves.
Truly, I can't ramble on more because there are no words to express the full extent of how I am blessed. Amazing is the grace that breathes life into my heart.
