the beauty of grace

The Prodigal 

by Sovereign Grace Music

You held out Your arms, I walked away

Insolent, I spurned Your face

Squandering the gifts You gave to me

Holding close forbidden things

Destitute, a rebel still, a fool in all my pride

The world I once enjoyed is death to me

No joy, no hope, no life

Where now are the friends that I had bought

Gone with every penny lost

What hope could there be for such as I

Sold out to a world of lies

Oh, to see Your face again, it seems so distant now

Could it be that You would take me back

A servant in Your house

You held out Your arms, I see them still

You never left, You never will

Running to embrace me, now I know

Your cords of love will always hold

Mercy’s robe, a ring of grace

Such favor undeserved

You sing over me and celebrate

The rebel now Your child

(take a listen HERE)

This was just a random song that i happened to stumble upon while procrastinating on Facebook.

i didn't think it' d be as powerful as it was.

i cried. it is beautiful.

and so true... 

God's grace never ceases to amaze me.... and bring me back to my knees.

in fact, Jo was talking to us just this morning about how we are loved by God.... for NO REASON.

seriously.... how does my mind grasp such a concept? 

why would God love us? someone so undeserving of anything and everything?

i'll leave y'all with a story.... one that Jo mentioned to me this morning during out talk.... 

it's called:

THE EMPTY BIRD CAGE

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town.  One Easter Sunday morning, he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.  Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak…I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage.  On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright .  I stopped the lad and asked, “What you got there, son?”  “Just some old birds,” came the reply.  “What are you gonna do with them?”  I asked.  “Take ‘em home and have fun with ‘em,” he answered. “I’m gonna tease ‘em and pull out their feathers to make ‘em fight.  I’m gonna have a real good time.”  “But, you’ll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?”  ”Oh, I got some cats.” said the little boy.  “They like birds. I”ll take ‘em to them.”
The pastor was silent for a moment.  “How much do you want for those  birds, son?”  “Huh? Why, you don’t want them birds, mister. They’re just plain old field birds.  They don’t sing. They ain’t pretty.”  “How much?” the pastor asked again. The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, “$10?”  The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill.  He placed it in the boy’s hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.  The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot.  Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.  Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.  

  One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting.  “Yes sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait, knew they couldn’t resist. Got ‘em all.”  “What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asked.  Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun. I’m gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse.  I’m gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other.  I”m really gonna have fun.” ”And what will you do when you get done with them?” Jesus asked. “Oh, I’ll kill ‘em,” Satan glared proudly.  “How much do you want for them?”  Jesus asked.
“Oh, you don’t want those people.  They ain’t no good. Why, you’ll take them and they’ll just hate you.  They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill you.  You don’t want those people.” 
“How much?”  He asked again.  Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “All your blood, tears and your life.” Jesus said, “DONE.”  Then He paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.

  God’s Word states it this way: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” I Peter 1:18-19 

  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”     John 3:16

  Jesus cried from the cross, “It is finished.”  He paid for our sins.  He became sin for us.  The price for our sins has been paid for. It is a done deal.  Accept the purchased price, Jesus the Christ and be saved.

(This story can be found here: The Birdcage)

::sigh::

Never take advantage of this grace, friends. 

I love y'all lots <3 <3