El Raah: The Lord Our Shepherd (Part 1)

Finding Grace in the Names of God

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OBEDIENCE TO GOD

Oh, God, it is with you I find

The peace that’s like no other,

The perfect peace that causes rest,

That turmoil cannot smother.

An inner peace that brings relief,

From all our worldly pressure.

An expression of the heart and mind,

That brings us deepest pleasure.

The reassurance that your hand,

Is there to keep us from the sin,

That easily entraps our lives,

Leaving emptiness within.

Obedience is the key, O, Lord

That opens peace to all who err,

Bringing hope again renewed,

Erasing trials hard to bear.

Oh, God, it is with you I find,

A grace that is pursued. 

In perfect peace that causes rest,

A life that is renewed.  – Bruce

God’s grace began in the act of creation when He formed us and even made us in His image.  The garden, where man first sinned and destroyed his relationship with a loving and eternal God was also the scene of a great act of grace.  God allowed mankind to survive, with new rules, but he allowed them to live.  He covered this sin by grace.  God extended his love and His mercy toward us by not destroying Adam and Eve at the point of original sin. 

Not only did He not destroy mankind and wipe him from existence in the universe, but God sent His only son to pay the horrible penalty for that sin on the cross, rising again to grant us eternal life as a gift of His grace.  Wow!

God’s compassion cannot be understood by mankind.  We will never know the pain that He felt as His Son hung on the cross suffering the external agony of thorns in His brow, nails in His hands and feet, and the tearing apart of His organs and joints.  Nor will we ever understand the impact of the cup.  The wrath of God poured out on Jesus.  The wrath of God was so great that it shook all of creation.  All the power that God possesses was released against Jesus at the moment that we received the sin of mankind; our sin, yours and mine.

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sins![1]

(To Be Continued)

[1] Julia H. Johnston, Grace Greater than Our Sin, pub.1910, public domain, http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Grace_Greater_than_Our_Sin/