Grace and Truth
Grace and Truth.
I love these words, “and then they lived happily ever after,” just like a good Hallmark movie. This time of year, we begin to think about football, bonfires, and Hallmark movies with happy endings; at least I do. Picture perfect people with picture-perfect lives.
However, sometimes all the photoshop in the world cannot hide what lies beneath the surface. Have you ever watched what was supposed to be “happily ever after” turn into a disaster? It happens all too easily, and I’ve seen it happen. . .
The day was perfect. This day was the culmination of a whirlwind plan for a wedding. The bride looked stunning in the gown that had been a gift to her. Her sweet daughters dressed alike in flowing, matching dresses served as her flower girls. Her soon-to-be husband, dressed in a tuxedo, never looked better. The setting was decorated and prepped for this special moment. Amazing volunteers had stepped forward to serve as photographers, caterers, and decorators. Everything was a gift to the bride and groom who, due to lack of finances and desiring a “real” wedding, had never officially married. However, they shared three children and technically had a common-law marriage.
This wedding day was a moment in time to cherish forever—God’s grace, unmerited favor, and bountiful provision, shown brightly that day.
Beautiful photos taken to capture the moment, and then, of course, posted on social media for all to see. The joy of that day will never escape me. I knew that this young couple had a new beginning, as they put their lives in God’s hands. They each vowed to love one another and keep Christ first.
AND THEN…
I watched as vows spoken were ignored, and little by little, the beauty of this day became a distant memory. While the grace of God covered them, not living the truth of God’s word caused them to implode from the inside out. Today, their marriage is over.
Fresh starts exchanged for broken hearts.
Our world has many stories of people who experience the grace of God, but subsequently turn their back on the truth of God’s Word. As a follower of Jesus Christ, we need GRACE and TRUTH.
In 2 Chronicles, we read about a young king named Asa. In chapter 14, verses 2-3, we find that Asa did what was “pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. He removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles.” Asa, by the grace of God, chose to follow God’s truth and remove those things in his life and those he led that went against the truth. For ten years, Judah, the city he led, enjoyed a period of peace due to his obedience.
“Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.”
At the time, these words encouraged Asa, and he continued strong as a leader until the thirty-sixth year of his reign.
AND THEN….
Asa turned from the truth and put his trust in other things. Have you done that? I know I have. Thinking it wasn’t a big deal, Asa looked for another answer to a problem, rather than waiting for God to come through. Abandoning God, he made a deal with a foreign king. There will always be pressure to take the easy route.
You are lonely in your marriage, so you look to someone else to fill the void.
You are single and tired of waiting, so you settle for someone who doesn’t love Jesus and takes from you what you shouldn’t be giving.
Your finances seem tight, so you no longer put God first.
Your children are bored, so you give in to their demand to play video games non-stop.
You find “online” church easier than attending in person, so you “forsake the assembling of yourselves together.”
Asa made a deal with the King of Aram, which seemingly worked in the “short-run” but was catastrophic for the future. While King Asa won this battle, the victory was not a win for Asa. Shortly after this time, Asa heard these words in 2 Chronicles 16:7-9:
“Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians, Cushites and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? Or and horsemen? At that time, you relied on the Lord, and he handed them over to you. The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on, you will be at war.”
Asa was reminded of God’s faithfulness in the past, when he relied on the Lord, rather than himself. More consequences occurred because Asa chose this direction. Asa even began to oppress those in Judah that he was to lead.
Never forget that our actions do not just affect us. They have a trickle-down effect on those around us.
In the end, Asa developed a severe foot disease and subsequently died two years later. No longer was he the king that “followed after God.” Unfortunately, his ending was very different than his beginning due to his decisions.
We each have the opportunity to embrace grace and truth. Grace will bring a new chapter to our lives, one filled with hope. Living in truth will cause the story to unfold in such a way that we bring glory to God, no matter what we face in this life.
I love grace, but I need the truth! How about you?
Blessings!
Liz
