– Genesis 42:8
Shiny New Me!
So what's your transformation story? Is it an amazing rags-to-riches kind of thing, a slow-and-steady wins the race kind of thing, or is it more of a wild and crazy 180° tailspin saved at the last second kind of thing? Each of our stories is different, but one thing we all have in common is that we aren't who we used to be. Heck, for some of us, the difference between the saved us and the old sinner us is like night and day. The life we left behind, the people from our past, those who voted us most likely to die young, would never be able to recognize us now, and even if we told them, "This is who I am - we used to be good friends," they still wouldn't be able to connect the dots.
The Blood of Jesus, which washed away our sins, has made a new creation! And even though all the DNA is the same, and our general appearance is probably pretty much the way our gene-pool dictated, the inner man is different, our countenance is different, the way we look at the world and everyone in it . . . is different. The Love of Christ has made us different and we have been made new - Hallelujah!
Joseph's brothers, who years earlier threw him in a pit and then sold him into slavery, are now kneeling before him and asking for his help. They had forgotten all about him, and even though I'm sure a few of them were probably still having nightmares about the events that separated them all those years ago, meeting up with their brother was the last thing from their minds as they cowered before the one who held their fate in his hands.
Joseph, the scrawny dreamer of a kid; the spoiled brat who always got the best of everything; the brother that was hastily swept under the rug like an unwanted mess, was now the most powerful man in their known world. He, ironically, held their fate in his hands, and they were all unaware that if not for the Favor of God over Joseph's life, their necks could very easily be on the chopping block. But God . . .
God changed everything, and even though it took many years and many trials for Joseph to truly understand the meaning of Grace . . . not receiving it, but in giving it, out of pure Love - even though undeserved. He now had the opportunity to grow beyond himself and to understand how God works and how He worked in his own life.
Grace is a gift. It frees us. It changes us. It transforms us and creates in us the capacity to Love and to Forgive. It is ALL God. It's who He is. It's what He's ALL about.
So today, why not reflect on how God's Grace and Forgiveness transformed your life. Remember your chains and the pits you were in before He brought you out, dusted you off, and changed your life forever. Grasp the concept that it wasn't done for you. Huh? What? OK, I know it WAS done for you, but it was also done SO you . . . so you could affect change. So you could change someone's life.
It was done so you could show God to someone else. Perhaps to the very ones who expected you to be dead by now. Maybe it was for the member of your family who you haven't spoken to for years because of some silly thing no one can remember anyway. It could be for that person who just rubs you the wrong way no matter how nice you try to be. You see everyone deserves forgiveness. Everyone should have the chance to experience Grace. Will it be through you? Will it be through me?
Hmmmmm . . . now there's something to think on today.
Prayer
Father, Thank You for pulling me out of the pit and for transforming my life. Thank You for the Grace and for the Blood of Your Son. Thank You that You Loved me so much. I pray that I can take the change that You have made in me, and that I can BE Grace to someone else. Help me to see the need and to recognize the opportunity to help You change another life . . . forever.
Have a blessed day everyone!
– Richard
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