Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound…
Pray tell, what exactly is the sound of God’s Grace?
Where, when and how can it be found?
Is there something more amazing to take its place??
If there’s one thing for which we humans have a strong penchant,
It’s for systems, devices and plans to measure results.
In every aspect of life, keeping score is dominant.
It’s strongest when things we are measuring are difficult.
Since Grace is God’s first and longest strategic objective, 1
In all His dealings with the human race,
Then of ‘Grace-results’, let’s take some time to be reflective,
Of the results that we to Him showcase.
God’s main purpose of Grace is captured in this phrase:
Don’t you know the goodness of God leads us to repentance?
Thus He patiently waits for ‘repentance displays’.
For His second, short objective, He shows great reluctance.
Because to us Grace is protracted, judgment is delayed.
Yet between these two objectives, there’s a very strong link:
For Grace from Him received, our results to Him are displayed,
And they will either smell like perfume, or to Him …they stink.
Guess what? He’s not the only one gaging our Grace-results.
Within us, He’s implanted a means, so personal,
And key performance indicators that we can consult,
To perceive our results from His Grace, so merciful.
It’s our conscience that’s designed to do this job, critical,
With innate indicators of moral right and wrong.
Together they keep us on pathways that are placable, 2
And help ensure Grace extended to us is prolonged.
When by degrading culture our conscience has been seared,
And our results indicators of right and wrong have flipped,
In Heaven, our Grace-results are no longer revered,
In The Lord’s timing, judgments against us will be un-zipped! 3
Here’s an important point many may not perceive,
And never, ever would they write or sing songs about:
Even in judgments, much more Grace we can receive!
When Grace fails to do its job, judgments with Grace roll out!
If to that strong pair we respond without pretense,
With repentance and a turn from our sinful ways,
Then judgments may be shortened or made less intense.
That’s when we’ll come to know Grace that judgment portrays.
Given all the ways we display human sinful nature,
Under the protective cover of long-term Grace we knew,
Why only sing of Grace when by judgments we are pressured?!
Ahhhhh....
Short, intense judgments achieve results that long-term Grace wooed!!!
What conclusions do you draw from this Grace overview?
Will you sing Amazing Grace when you get …the judgment blues??
To me this suggests judgments that with Grace are imbued,
Must be more amazing than long-term Grace …we all abuse.
Since The Lord conducts His Grace-result surveys,
On persons, families, societies and nations,
It behooves us to stay on righteous pathways,
And hopefully avoid those awful …judgment gremlins.
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1 See: Jeremiah 9:23-24
2 Placable - easily calmed; gentle, forgiving
3 God has delegated to Jesus, The Lord, all human-related judgments: The Father (God Almighty) judges no one, but has committed all judgment to The Son (Jesus Christ), that all men should honor The Son, just as they honor The Father. He who does not honor The Son does not honor The Father who sent Him. (John 5:22-23)
