Thought Seeds

The God of Grace

2009-02-16T09:41:00.004-05:00

There is not, perhaps, in the Bible a word more expressive, or, to the believing ear, one more sweet, than the word GRACE. It at once discloses the secret of salvation, defines the underlying principle of redeeming mercy, and indicates the golden thread which runs throughout and knits together all the great doctrines of the gospel, emphatically designated the "gospel of the grace of God.

The doctrine of creature merit is the fatal element of man's religion, the moral poison of his soul, the remedy for which is only found in a believing reception and heart-felt experience of the free grace salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And yet how much even the Lord's people have yet to learn of this great truth! How dim their views, how faint their realization, how little their enjoyment of it! How much forgetfulness of the truth that Christ died, not for saints, but for sinners; that He receives, not the worthy, but the unworthy; that He came to heal, not the whole, but the sick; to call, not the righteous, but sinners, to repentance! Always looking for some good thing in themselves, instead of looking only to Christ for that worthiness which never can be found out of Him; ever dealing with their sins, in the place of sin's Great Sacrifice, substituting sanctification for justification; thus making a saving merit of their holiness, putting faith in the place of Christ, the Object of faith, and so making a Savior of their religious experience, it is no marvel that they realize so faintly their completeness in Christ, and the peace and joy, the hope and holiness springing therefrom. For this reason, "many are weak and sickly among them," and many travel in doubt, and fear, and tears to the brink of the river of death, though, blessed be God, none ever go doubting, and fearing, and weeping over it; for, at the last, grace triumphs, and the weakest faith gets the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Octavius Winslow

The Promises of God

2009-02-05T14:22:00.004-05:00

I sometimes wonder that we are so prone to overlook the wonderful promises of Scripture. The old Puritans were not this way. Thomas Watson in his little book "The Divine Cordial" gave these thoughts on the promises of God.

The promises are God's bank notes. They are called "precious promises" (2 Pet. 1:4). They are as cordials to a soul that is ready to faint. The promises are full of virtue.

Are we under the guilt of sin? There is a promise, "The Lord is merciful and gracious" (Exod. 34:6), where God as it were puts on His glorious embroidery, and holds out the golden scepter, to encourage poor trembling sinners to come to Him. "The Lord is merciful and gracious." God is more willing to pardon—than to punish. Mercy does more multiply in Him, than sin in us. Mercy is His nature. The bee naturally gives honey; it stings only when it is provoked. "But," says the guilty sinner, "I cannot deserve mercy." Yet He is gracious: He shows mercy, not because we deserve mercy—but because He delights in mercy. But what is that to me? Perhaps my name is not in the pardon. "He keeps mercy for thousands!" The treasury of mercy is not exhausted. God has treasures lying by, and why should not you come in for a child's part?

Are we under the defilement of sin? There is a promise working for good. "I will heal their backslidings" (Hos. 14:4). God will not only bestow mercy—but grace. And He has made a promise of sending His Spirit (Isaiah 44:3), which for His sanctifying nature, is in Scripture compared sometimes to water—which cleanses the vessel; sometimes to the fan—which winnows corn, and purifies the air; sometimes to fire—which refines metals. Thus the Spirit of God shall cleanse and consecrate the soul, making it partake of the divine nature.

Are we in great trouble? There is a promise which works for our good, "I will be with him in trouble" (Psalm 91. 15). God does not bring His people into troubles, and leave them there. He will stand by them; He will hold their heads and hearts when they are fainting. And there is another promise, "He is their strength in the time of trouble" (Psalm 37:39). "Oh," says the soul, "I shall faint in the day of trial." But God will be the strength of our hearts; He will join His forces with us. Either He will make His hand lighter—or our faith stronger!

Do we fear outward needs? There is a promise. "Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing" (Psalm 34:10). If it is good for us, we shall have it; if it is not good for us, then the withholding of it is good. "I will bless your bread and your water" (Exod. 33:25). This blessing falls as the honey dew upon the leaf; it sweetens that little we possess. Let me lack the venison, so I may have the blessing. But I fear I shall not get a livelihood? Peruse that Scripture, "I have been young, and now am old—yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psalm 37:25). How must we understand this? David speaks it as his own observation; he never beheld such an eclipse, he never saw a godly man brought so low that he had not a bit of bread to put in his mouth. David never saw the righteous and their seed lacking. Though the Lord might try godly parents a while by need—yet not their seed too; the seed of the godly shall be provided for. David never saw the righteous begging bread, and forsaken. Though he might be reduced to great straits—yet not forsaken; still he is an heir of heaven, and God loves him.

Our Conception of God

2009-01-16T13:33:00.004-05:00

"Nothing twists and deforms the soul more than a low or unworthy conception of God. From a failure to properly understand God comes a world of unhappiness among good Christians even today. The Christian life is thought to be glum, unrelieved cross-carrying under the eye of a stern Father who expects much and excuses nothing. He is austere, peevish, highly temperamental and extremely hard to please.

It is most important to our spiritual welfare that we hold in our minds always a right conception of God. If we think of Him as cold and exacting we shall find it impossible to love Him, and our lives will be ridden with servile fear. If, again, we hold Him to be kind and understanding our whole inner life will mirror that idea.

The truth is that God is the most winsome of all beings and His service one of unspeakable pleasure. He is all love, and those who trust Him need never know anything but that love. He is just, indeed, and He will not condone sin; but through the blood of the everlasting convenant He is able to act toward us exactly as if we had never sinned.

The fellowship of God is delightful beyond all telling. He communes with His redeemed ones in an easy, uninhibited fellowship that is restful and healing to the soul. He is not sensitive nor selfish nor temperamental. He expects of us only what He has Himself first supplied. He is quick to mark every simple effort to please Him, and just as quick to overlook imperfections when He knows we meant to do His will. He loves us for ourselves and values our love more than galaxies of new created worlds.

God is the sum of all patience and the essence of kindly good will. We please Him most, not by frantically trying to make ourselves good, but by throwing ourselves into His arms with all our imperfections, and believing that He understands everything and loves us still.

--A.W. Tozer

Untrodden Paths

2009-01-01T09:24:00.007-05:00

"... for you have not passed this way before." (Josh. 3:4)

Approximately seven hundred years earlier, God had given a promise to Abraham that his descendants would be given a great land. It had been a long journey. These that now stood staring accross the swelling Jordan River into the Promised Land faced a great deal of uncertainty. The officers of Israel went throughout the camp and as they went they issued a statement that was full of promise but that also surely filled the people's hearts and minds with some fear and apprehension. They simply said, "...for you have not passed this way before."

I was drawn to these words in my reading of Octavius Winslow's "Morning Thoughts" for Jan. 1. He said, "How solemn is the reflection that, with a new cycle of time for each travelor to Zion, commences a new and untrodden path! New events in his history will transpire, new scenes in the panorama of life will unfold, new phases of character will develop, new temptations will assail, new duties will devolve, new trials will be experienced, new sorrows felt, new friendships will be formed, and new mercies will be bestowed. As the pilgrim journeying through the wilderness to his eternal home stands upon the threshold of this untried period of his existence, how truly may it be said, when pondering the unknown and uncertain future, "You have not passed this way before."

The path that God had prepared for the nation of Israel was full of promise but also would require much faith and strength. There was a wonderful new land to possess, but there was an enemy to conquer. There were blessings untold to gain but there were battles to be waged. Before taking the first step down that untrodden path, God commanded that the ark of the covenant be carried by the priests way ahead of the people so that they could fix their gaze upon it. This was a reminder that the way they had not passed before was a way that had been prepared by God and that His presence and power and grace would be with them every step of the way. God was their gracious, powerful, sovereign, loving God. They could face the untrodden path with anticipation that their covenant God had perfectly prepared the way ahead for their blessing and His glory.

"Heavenly Father, help me to face my untrodden path with faith fixed on the certainty that it has been prepared by you. Thank you for each new step, for what you will do for me, for what you will teach me. Give me grace to fix my gaze on you and to walk each day in the light of your being my covenant God."

The Cup of Suffering

2008-12-02T18:24:00.011-05:00

When in the Garden of Gethsemene, Jesus began the suffering that was to culminate in his death on the cross. In this hour Jesus prayed, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." Of course, it was not only physical suffering that Jesus was praying about. But, it would be a mistake to think that in his humanity Jesus did not in part have his physical suffering in view when he prayed this. Octavius Winslow in his little book "The Sympathy of Christ" makes application as it seems only he can when he says:

"You, too, may thus be shrinking from bodily suffering. Does the weak flesh recoil from those agonies which no tongue can describe, which no skill can baffle, which no anodyne can soothe, and which no affection can prevent? Jesus can sympathize with you. Do you think that He will desert you in this trial of your humanity, or make no allowance for the weakness of the flesh, the pain and nervousness, the agony and languor, the fainting and swooning which so much interferes with your soul's enjoyment, beclouds your mental powers, and prevents those spiritual exercises of reading, meditation, and prayer in which you have been wont so happily to indulge? Ah, no! He is your fellow-sufferer! and when, in anticipation of the throes, the agonies, and the convulsions which rack the body with pain, the spirit fails, the flesh shrinks, and your trembling heart breathes to heaven its earnest, plaintive cry, "Father, if it be possible,"- you are at once in the closest sympathy with your Savior's sensitiveness to bodily suffering, and He in sympathy with yours. Who will arrest that prayer?- not Jesus!"

Transparency

2008-11-11T15:49:00.006-05:00

The following excerpt is from a blog I read the other day. I don't remember the blog I found it on or I would gladly give credit. This particular blogger is describing a friend of his who was talking about the phenomenon of believers being so much more at ease blogging their thoughts or texting than actually sitting down with one another and verbally communicating heart to heart.

"I was fascinated as I listened to him describe how widespread this phenomenon is. He said that many of the men he deals with are lacking in social skills and are much more comfortable communicating through the Internet. As an example of this, he told us of one young man who, while in college, regularly instant messaged his roommate while they were in the same room. My immediate reaction, upon hearing this, was to laugh. The image of two guys tapping away at computer keyboards in order to “speak” to each other sounded at first like something out of a comedy. However, looking into the face of the pastor telling the story made it clear that this was no joke. I felt ashamed for finding this scenario humorous. Tears are a much more appropriate response. What a graphic depiction of alienation and loneliness this is – two bearers of the divine image, endowed with the wondrous gifts of language, speech, hearing, and facial expression which God gave us in order to experience the joys of knowing and being known – choosing instead to avert each other’s gaze and fix their eyes on screens. Painfully aware that there is something wrong with us, we try in vain to cover our nakedness with electronic fig leaves."

The comment above addresses an area that has always been hard for me and I suspect is hard for a lot of people. It is the area of transparency. I think we find it so much more comfortable to hide behind our keyboards and computer screens because it doesn't make us so vulnerable. Other people, then, can't see our sighs or our tears or our frustrations or disappointment. It gives us time to make measured responses, often carefully worded to hide our true feelings. Sometimes that's good, but often it's just another coverup of what's really going on inside. Being transparent doesn't mean just spewing out every thought that comes to mind or word that comes to our tongue. There are some thoughts and feelings that are private ones between ourselves and God or unwholesome thoughts or words that need to be silenced. But, transparency does mean being willing to be much more ready to be open to allow those we love to know what's going on--when we hurt, when we feel we've been hurt, when we are confused or angry or sad, or whatever. Like the butterfly true freedom can only come when we break out of the cacoon of mistrust and fear. We might be surprised at how beautiful our transparent fragileness might appear to others.

An Appointed Time

2008-10-21T14:52:00.006-04:00

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The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that "there is an appointed time for everthing. And there is a time for every event under heaven--A time to give birth and a time to die..."

I have been reminded of this in recent days. I have also been reminded that at such times those who have lost their loved ones need so very much to know that it's okay to grieve and sorrow. Grief and sorrow are as proper as joy and laughter. They each have their appointed time. God made them both. A godly man from the last century wrote these words after the death of his wife:

"When a holy and beloved object of our affection is removed by death, we ought to sorrow. Humanity demands it, and Christianity, in the person of the weeping Jesus, allows it. The man without a tear, is a savage or a Stoic—but not a Christian. God intends when he bestows his gifts—that they should be received with smiles of gratitude; and when he recalls them—that they should be surrendered with "drops of sacred grief." Sorrow is an affection implanted by the Creator in the soul, for wise and beneficent purposes; and it ought not to be ruthlessly torn up by the roots—but directed in its exercise by reason and piety. The work of grace, though it is above nature—is not against it. The man who tells me not to weep at the grave, insults me, mocks me, and wishes to degrade me. I do weep. I must weep. I cannot help it. God requires me to do so—and has opened a fountain of tears in my nature for that purpose."

At the death of his friend Lazarus, Jesus entered into the feeling of true sorrow and sympathy with those around him. We read those simple yet profoundly comforting words, "Jesus wept." I am so thankful for this narrative, that we have a Savior who fully understands this human emotion and need.

The Oil of Grace

2008-10-08T08:56:00.003-04:00

Then I saw in my dream that the Interpreter took Christian by the hand and lead him into a place where a fire was burning next to a wall. Standing by the wall was an individual who was continually throwing water on the fire to put it out. Yet, the fire just burned higher and hotter.

Christian asked, "What does this mean?"

The interpreter answered, "This fire is the work of grace working in the heart. He who throws water on it to extinguish it and put it out is the Devil. But, as you see, the fire is burning higher and hotter in spite of it. You'll be shown the reason for that."

With that, he took Christian around to the other side of the wall. There he saw a man with a jar of oil in his hand continually and secretly pouring oil upon the fire.

Again, Christian asked, "What does this mean?"

The Interpreter explained, "This is Christ, who continually maintains the work already begun in the heart by applying the Oil of His Grace. Because of this, the souls of His people remain full of grace in spite of what the Devil can do. In that you saw the man standing behind the wall to keep the fire burning, that's meant to teach you that it's hard for those tempted to see how this work of grace is continued in the soul."

I relate so very well with Bunyan's illustrations in The Pilgrim's Progress. The daily struggle with sin is the hardest part of each day. I know that if it were only dependent on my strength and my effort that the flame of spiritual life would have been extinguished long ago. I often marvel that it keeps burning. This illustration reminded me that the work of grace in my soul is God's work. I am so thankful for my Savior whose mercy and power continues to pour the Oil of His Grace in my heart.

The Prodigal's Father

2008-09-30T07:51:00.006-04:00

There are many deep and astounding and beautiful and encouraging and convicting truths and applications in the parable of the prodigal son found in Luke's Gospel. I have felt the sorrow of that father watching a child go their own way. I have experienced the long wait and the glances down the road longing for the return of one I loved so dearly. But, by God's grace, I have also known the blessed joy that only a parent can know when one who is "lost" is "found." There are many lessons in this parable, not only for the wayward child but for the waiting father.

One lesson from this parable that as a father has often convicted me is why it took so long for the wayward son to return to his father. I wonder why the son doubted so long that his father would receive him back with loving and forgiving arms. It was, perhaps, no fault of the father in this story. I have often wondered, though, whether this is true for me. My own heart is filled with sorrow to think that my children would have cause to doubt my unreserved love. How thankful I am that there is never a reason to doubt God's love for me. One writer said this about this parable:

"In all his wanderings that father's love had never lost sight of his wayward child. It tracked him along all his windings, and waited and welcomed his return. We may doubt, and debase, and deny our divine relationship, yet God will never disown us as His children, nor disinherit us as His heirs. We may cease to act as a child, He will never cease to love as a Father."

What an astounding truth. God's love for His children never changes. We ought to never doubt our Father's love. When we do, we have nothing in the character of God to blame. We can never point to any past unfaithfulness in Him. We can never bring up even one unkept promise. There is never a legitimate reason for us to doubt whether or not, no matter what our sins or condition, that we can return to the loving, forgiving, embrace of our Heavenly Father. I pray that God will help me to be a reflection of His love in the kind of father that I am.
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What We Don't See

2008-09-23T18:11:00.003-04:00

I know God is sovereign, that He rules over all things big and small. I know that because of God's infinite love He gave His only Son to die for me, to rescue me from the darkness of my sin, and that He not only forgave me but made me His child. I know because God is my Father that He watches over me every day and cares for me. I say that I know all these things but it is also true that I don't always remember them. It is true that I don't always have a felt sense of God's love and care. But, how thankful I am that my frailty and weakness and forgetfulness and even doubtings do not change the reality of God's love and care. It is an astounding truth that God never stops thinking about me. It is mind boggling to realize that there is not a nano-second that I am not being cared for by the mighty God of Creation. This is true about material things and physical things but I was struck today about how this is also true in that spiritual realm that is unseen. I can't imagine how many times every day the mighty hand of God protects and upholds and keeps and strengthens when I am so unaware of it.

Psalm 34:7 tells us, "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them."

Hebrews 1:14 says, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation."

I wonder if some day God will replay for us our lives and show us the spiritual warfare that was taking place all around us that we were so often unaware of. What a great God! What a loving Father! If it were not so, I could not survive for a minute.

It's A Small World After All

2008-09-10T13:32:00.007-04:00

I don't know much about the context of this little song. I suppose it was in a Disney movie sometime or another. I do know that once the catchy little tune gets in my head that I can't seem to get it out and that it drives me crazy. I was thinking about this little tune this morning and how true it is. I'm writing this early on a Sunday morning sitting in my little room in Madrid Spain. Bruce Smith and I are staying with some dear missionary friends. Yesterday we spent the day with a group of Romanian refugee church leaders from Zaragoza, Madrid, and Barcelona. We talked about the gospel and the Great Commission and planting churches and I listened to their stories of God's work in their lives. We met in a Spanish church that has opened up their building so their Romanian brethren would have a place to worship. As I sat through the day I was reminded of Paul's desire two centures ago.

Rom 15:28 "Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain."

It's not certain that Paul ever made it to Spain to fulfill the desire to take the gospel here but the gospel came. Two centuries of Spanish history later and the church is still here. I'll be worshiping this morning in a Spanish church and this afternoon in a Romanian church. This year I have had the blessing and privilege to be with God's people in Russia and Mexico and now Spain. Next month I'll be in Australia. It boggles my mind sometimes. I'm sure Paul never imagined that it would be possible to so easily and quickly go to so many parts of the world. I couldn't help but think this morning how true that little song is...it's a small world after all.

A Savior Who Is

2008-09-05T21:34:00.015-04:00

"In unfolding the precious truth of Christ's practical sympathy with man- let the fact be constantly before your mind, that you are not reading of a Savior who was, but of a Savior who is; that the Lord Jesus is moved by the same sympathy, is possessed of the same power, and is as quickly and as tenderly responsive to the appeal of the sorrowful and the necessities of the needy, as when the tabernacle of His humanity adorned and consecrated our earth..."

. . . . . . . . . Octavius Winslow from "The Sympathy of Christ"

Soul Surgery

2008-09-02T20:34:00.003-04:00

I've been making a lot of hospital calls lately. I was thinking today about doctors and the role they play. When people become really sick they expect their doctors to be able to figure out what's wrong and to give them the right medicine to make them better. Sometimes medicines are not enough and the ailing body requires surgery. At these times a surgeon has to sit down with their patient to give them the bad news--a cancer needs to be removed, or a joint needs to be replaced, or a muscle needs to be repaired. Though such words are never easy to hear and though no one wants to go into the operating room, most people gladly submit to surgery because it's needed to get better, to be able to lead a healthy life. We are thankful for our doctors at such times. We are thankful for their skill and thankful for the surgery they perform.

It occurred to me how much more we ought to be ready to submit to spiritual surgery when needed. Surely, we cannot expect to go through our spiritual lives and never be sick. At such times, we go to God and pray and ask Him to heal us. Yet, how often, when the spiritual knife is laid to our lives in order to remove this or that sin, when God does his soul surgery to give us back our spiritual health, we are reticent to submit to Him. I can only imagine with what care and tenderness an earthly doctor would operate on his dear sick child, not making any unneeded cut or inflicting any unneeded pain. How much more is this true with our gracious and loving Heavenly Father when it is necessary for Him to do soul surgery on His children.

Thankfulness

2008-08-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

As I was praying this morning, I was struck by how many people in my small circle are going through tough times. Some in the midst of very difficult physical trials. Some are struggling with family and emotional needs. Some with the lingering burden of financial hardships. Some who are elderly and lonely. Some that feel discouraged and hopeless. Then, there are those in other places in the world that I have come to know and love, enough to be aware of current trials and needs they are facing. I prayed this morning for individulas with particular needs in Russia, and Italy, and Romania, and Spain.

I suddenly was also struck with how blessed I am and with how unthankful I am so often. I paused and began to just thank God for everything I could think of realizing that nothing was too small or insignificant to be thankful for. I thanked God for the breeze coming through my window, for the birds singing in the trees, for being able to see the birds and hear their songs, for being able to get out of bed this morning, for a loving wife to share my life with, for the warm coffee I was drinking, for strong hands to lift the coffee to my lips, for being able to taste and smell the coffee, for a car to drive, for gas to put in the car, for the beating of my heart, for the Bible open on my desk, for being able to read, for shoes, for being able to walk, for family and friends, for a voice to speak, for a healthy mind. . . for God's patience and continued blessings to me even though I am so often unappreciative.

The Gift of Music

2008-08-26T14:29:00.000-04:00

Some friends took my wife and I to a concert last Sunday evening. The Cleveland Orchestra performed selections from the music of Leonard Bernstein. I'm not an aficionado of classical music or broadway shows. I wouldn't know if an oboe was off key or if the violins were too loud or if the percussionist "percussioned" at the wrong time. But, I do like to listen to beautiful music. I am in awe of musicians. I am more in awe of composers who can write scores that blend a myriad of sounds in seemingly perfect rythm and harmony.

Music is one of God's great gifts to us. One writer said, "The power of music in tranquilizing the mind, calming the spirit, and waking the whole soul to elevated thought and feelings is marvelous." I'm sure most everyone knows this by experience. But, like so much of God's perfect creation, fallen man has abused and misused even this precious gift. The same notes that can elevate the soul in Handel's Messiah when arranged in a different order and played to a different rythm create cacophonies that can push the spirit into despair.

But, like all of God's creation, one day even music will be transformed to it's highest created purpose--to glorify God. One old writer said this:

"The chief enjoyment of heaven is music. Oh, what melody floats through those bowers, rings through those mansions, reverberates through that dome, from the spirits of just men made perfect? They sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. They sing of the everlasting love, of the atoning blood, of the sovereign grace that brought them there. Around the Lamb once slain they cluster, and upon His head, once filled with bruises, torn and bleeding with the thorn-crown, they bind the diadem of their praise. And, oh, how worthy is He of their sweetest anthem, their loftiest song, their loudest hallelujahs."

What a glorious time that will be. We will all be composers in that day. Our music will flow effortlessly from redeemed hearts and our voices will blend in perfect harmony. And, forever and ever every note, every sound, and every word will echo their pefect strains to the praise and honor of God who gave us the gift of music.

"But to this one I will look...

2008-08-24T08:03:00.000-04:00

"Maybe you have thought of the glory that Christ receives from brilliant genius and profound talent, from splended gifts and glowing zeal, from costly sacrifices, and even extensive usefulness. But have you ever thought of the glory, the far greater glory, that flows to Christ from a contrite spirit, a broken heart, a lowly mind, a humble walk; from the tear of godly repentance that falls when seen by no human eye, and the sigh of godly sorrow that is breathed when heard by no human ear?"

(Octavius Winslow)

Isa 66:2 "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."

The Slough of Despond

2008-08-22T15:24:00.000-04:00

The Pilgrim's Progress is one of my favorite books. It was written by John Bunyan hundreds of years ago but the spiritual journey it portrays is timeless. It is especially helpful because it is evident that Christian, the main character in this allegory, is in fact Bunyan himself. I love that Bunyan bares his heart and lays open for all to see the struggles and experiences of his own spiritual journey. John Bunyan was a pastor but he never forgot what it was like to have been shepherded himself by a faithful and kind pastor.

Very early in The Pilgrim's Progress, Christian and a temporary companion named Pliable fall into a swamp called the Slough of Despond. After being helped out of the slough Christian discovers that he could have escaped the miry bog if he had only seen and used the stepping stones that had been placed as a safe path through the swamp. These stepping stones represent the promises and truths of God.

I love this simple illustration. How often, even as the children of God, saved by God's wonderful grace, we become mired in our own Slough of Despond. Like Christian, we are made aware of our unworthiness. The law exposes our sin. Yet, also like Christian, instead of this causing us to turn to Christ all the more--instead of this driving us to the promises of God's grace--we become despondent. Yet, Christ says, "Come unto Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." He says, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Jesus delights when we come to him with all our filth and mire. It is only then that we can be made clean. How often we fall into the Slough of Despond because we fail to look for the stepping stones of grace and forgivess and promise. They are there. They are given to us by God. They will lead us safely through all our doubts and fears and despair.