I like hiking solo. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the company of people, but being alone outside gives me peace and renewed energy after working long hours at my desk. There is a sense of smallness sometimes being alone in the wilderness, but I realize I am never alone. It’s easy to be consumed by fear and worry that something bad will happen to me but knowing that Christ loves me and cares for me gives me strength to face my fears no matter where I am. My friend Sam Powell writes so beautifully about the gracious love of Christ in this post from his blog : My only comfort
Reading it this morning gives me a renewed sense of hope, a gentle reminder that God’s love isn’t something I can earn or mess up. The love of Christ surrounds his children, I don’t know about you but I can’t meditate on that enough. His yoke is easy, His burden is light. That’s enough to carry me to my eternal home no matter how tough the journey .
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. (Sol 2:4 KJV)
Here’s an astounding thought. God is the creator and sustainer of the universe. We are all his workmanship, and he can do with us as he pleases. He has every right to command, to exact obedience and even to kill and destroy. He is a just God. He is a holy God. He cannot dwell with sin. He hates the wicked with eternal, unquenchable fire. And we are all sinners.
But it is God’s will to be merciful. He longs to restore fellowship with his people. But in order for God to restore relationship with His people, his people must put away their evil deeds and obey. They must be cleansed from their sins. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked and he calls all of us to obey, to…
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Music from Broken Chords 