Wednesday... mid-week blog...

Today... a humbling day indeed... but I thank God for His mercy and grace. We sometimes take for granted 'mercy and grace' - but to one who is truly aware of his/her inadequacies, shortcomings and weaknesses... these are fresh, living water to a parched soul.

I read Psalm 103. It comforted me.

Recently, I've gone back to reading the Old Testament from the very beginning... It refreshes me to see how God worked mightily in the lives of my spiritual forefathers - and it had nothing to do with what they could give God. No - in fact, they were far from being perfect; they rebelled dreadfully against God's love - and yet, God mercifully reached out to them. It was all about God. Grace and redemption did not begin only when God came to the earth in the person of Jesus Christ to be crucified for our sins... but even from the day God turned Adam and Eve out from the Garden of Eden, there was grace and the promise of redemption...

Genesis 3:21-24 - '...The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them...Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" - therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life..."

1. Garments of skin - this was an act of grace - and the promise of redemption. God did not send them out to perish naked....but to be fruitful and multiply (even in their fallen state) until He sent the Messiah to the world.

2. Not allowing Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of life (this is not the tree of good and evil btw) which they were free to eat from before the fall. Imagine, if they had continued to stay in the Garden... and eat from the tree of life... and live forever...sin and all. We think this is such harsh treatment for man... but really, it's a good thing. Now, when we die the first death... we know we shall live eternal lives - if we have accepted God's gift of salvation Jesus came to give. This was an act of redemption by itself - and the promise of grace.

How marvellous is the Word of God...