To many times in my life I have started my day, and not even thought about God. To many times in my life I have taken for granted all the things God has blessed me with. To many times in my life I have looked at the world, a situation or circumstance, and just sighed. Not a sigh of relief but of stress. So why would I do this? It seems trivial that I have spent so many years in ministry and in the church and still I struggle to become the person God has called me to be. I scratch and I claw, and wonder why this life is soooo hard sometimes. "If God is for us then who can be against us?"...Right? I mean why is it that we all seem to fight with the same things over and over again? I think I have come to see that even in the simplest of times, or the most difficult of times God is always present..........more about that in a minute!

If you were to go through and survey the thoughts of all the people God has put in my path, and asked them about my witness or my testimony, some would possibly have praise, but I know for a fact that others would have things to say that wouldn't come close to praise. Now, is this something that suddenly disqualifies me to be out of the Grip of God's Grace? Certainly not, that would never be consistent with God's character. So why does God choose to allow himself to be present with the same people like myself who have messed up over and over? Simply stated, through the Sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ.

Now to continue where I left off. Psalm 3:5 "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me." WoW!!!!
You mean....that just said.....are you kidding me....! The very simplest of things in my life such as going to sleep and waking up are the evidence that God is sustaining me? Man I haven't had to many verses hit me between the eyes like this one. One can't help but notice the profoundness of the implications of this scripture. So that means all that time when I have sinned, fallen short, messed up, and ruined my witness, that God who could have struck me down actually showed his Grace and sustained my life. I feel at times that God's justice could righteously clean house if he wanted to, but he isn't finished with us, yet!
See God shows us through this that we should be ever thankful for his sustenance. That we should be able to look at the workings of his hand and be thankful for all that he has given us. The real treat here is that His word never returns void. I don't have to worry about God's promises being like the lemon a used car salesman wants to sell me, or a genuine fake Rolex the man tried to sell me in Neuvo Laredo when I was in high school. It also tells me that God is always involved in the details, he cares about us, and wants us to experience that love.
In closing I want to say this. I teach God's word for a living, and at times even i struggle. The reality is that no matter how much I try to do things on my own, I am never successful outside of God's presence. I can preach his word, I can teach others about his word, but if I don't live it or have not love..I am a clanging gong or a clanging symbol.
Ring out the Glory of God with the life God has given you. Count your blessings, and captivate yourself with His presence.

In Awe of His Grace,
Brett