Heaven into you
“Grace is God as heart surgeon, cracking open your chest, removing your heart—poisoned as it is with pride and pain—and replacing it with his own. Rather than tell you to change, he creates the change.
Do you clean up so he can accept you? No, he accepts you and begins cleaning you up. His dream isn’t just to get you into heaven but to get heaven into you. . . .
Of all the things you must earn in life, God’s unending affection is not one of them. You have it. Stretch yourself out in the hammock of grace.
You can rest now.”
– Max Lucado
Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine
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Oh Lisa … just the invitation I needed to receive. A hammock of grace.
Thank you, thank you, friend. We are held, comforted, rocked, rested in that strong weaving.
His arms are open …
I love that imagery, too, Linda. Such peaceful resting. Sometimes we don’t equate that with following Jesus, but he has come to give us his rest, even in the doing.
I haven’t read much Lucado but I love these quotes.
Lucado is usually very easy and encouraging to read. He tells lots of stories, which makes his points clear and authentic.
These words…”Of all the things you must earn in life, God’s unending affection is not one of them. “…they say so much of why I love Jesus so much. I love it that HE is the one Who does the changing because He changes from the inside out and that makes the lasting change so good! Hugs to you, Lisa.
Exactly, Dianna! You speak for me, too. He takes the burden upon himself so all we do is abide and let the fruit grow.
Ah, Mr. Lucado! God gives him the word pictures, doesn’t He? Hammock of grace. Love it! Now, to do it!
Yes, Lucado definitely received a gift of pictures. 🙂 I’m so thankful he shares them with us because I like to see them too.
Hi Lisa! What lovely confirmation of the love we already possess in God. And I think about the times I have felt so unworthy even to pray, like I was hiding from that love. It just does me so good to read that we don’t have to be all cleaned up for God. He’ll clean me up himself!
Have a good night,
Ceil
Yes, I think it’s such a common misconception that we have to clean up first. But we can’t clean ourselves up, so it puts us in a double bind. I love that God is the one who started the love thing going; we just follow his lead!