The Master Gardener

I have been thinking a lot about God's work of grace in my life lately. About instant justification upon accepting Christ and progressive sanctification over the course of life. About why some people seem to advance in sanctification more quickly than others? Why some fall away and some stand firm? God obviously knows all those things. I heard someone say once, that to be a Christian means that you better get comfortable with mystery. So true. It's not up to me to understand all the ins and outs of God's work of grace in our lives, but instead to trust and believe that He will complete the good work He began in each one of us like He promises. It may take time, just like cultivating a garden, but we can have confidence knowing we are being taken care of by The Master Gardener.

Often times what I think will help me grow and what the Lord KNOWS will help me grow look very different from each other. The longer I live, the more I see His unerring wisdom and perfect sovereignty. I see how He uses joys, trials, people, His word and so many other things to fashion me more into His likeness. I see how much I need Him to be apart of every aspect of my life and my need to stay near the cross. So, I guess all that is to say, that this morning I am praising God for His work of grace!

"For the most part, God's people are exercised with sharp trials and temptations; for it is necessary they should learn not only what He can do for them—but how little they can do without Him! Therefore He teaches them not all at once—but by degrees, as they are able to bear it." - john newton