Persevering Grace
HEAVENLY FATHER, there is not a moment of any day when I do not need Your persevering grace—Your empowering strength—to carry me through life in this fallen world. Even as one of Your redeemed children; the world, the flesh, and the devil work day and night against my progress in becoming like Jesus Christ.
When I turn my eyes outward—to the world—I see only that which hates Christ and opposes His righteousness. When I turn my eyes inward—to the flesh—I see only that which loves and serves itself. When I turn my eyes to the invisible world of supernatural activity—to the devil—I see only that which diabolically works to dethrone and dishonor the Son of God.
O, Spirit, turn my eyes upon my Savior! In Him alone do I find my hope. It is He who has overcome the world. It is He who has already been victorious over sin. It is He who has rescued me from the clutches of Satan.
When I consider the weakness of my humanity and the impact of my fallenness upon every aspect of my being, I lose hope. But when I turn, with feeble eyes of faith, to my fully human, merciful Savior, I see man as he was originally intended to be. I see what Adam was meant to be. I see what I am now intended to become. I see the image of the invisible God, the pattern You are molding my lumpy clay to emulate.
O, teach me to rest in this—Your persevering grace—to trust myself less and less in order that I may trust You more and more. Help me to seek joy only in Him who has already risen victorious and now sits at Your right hand to intercede for me without ceasing. Hold me close. Cause me to cling to the One who already has promised to never let me go.
Amen.
