Still Saved

If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
and that's why you're worshiped.

Psalm 130:3-4 (MSG)

Just this morning, I was speaking with a work acquaintance with whom I've formed a friendship over the years through phone conversations. We've actually never met, but she often shares prayer requests. She is a recovering smoker, drug addict, alcoholic ... she's had a very tough life. She gave her life over to the Lord just a few years ago; but, like many of us, struggles at times and falls off of the path God has laid out before her. When we speak, I try to encourage her and promise to pray for her and her life situations.

This morning she told me that her husband (still addicted to drugs) moved out two weeks ago. She was glad on one hand, but it was still heart-breaking for her. She wondered why she couldn't be enough for him to want to quit using drugs. She then broke her current 52-day sober run in front of her 15-year-old who was home for the weekend from a juvenile center. It must have been quite a bad fall off the wagon since the police were called that night. She told me that she contacted both her AA sponsor and a lady that mentored her when she first became a Christian the next day. I affirmed her that those were wonderful decisions.

"I still run from God sometimes, and I do such bad things. Do you think I'm still saved?" she asked me.

I called her by name and said, "God created you and He knows your heart. If we only got to Heaven by what we do or how we live, then none of us would make it. That's why God sent Jesus - because He longs to reunite with us and love on us. If you gave your heart to the Lord, then you belong to Him and, yes, you are saved ... by HIS GRACE because JESUS blood is more than enough to cover every last one of every one of our sins!"

I can encourage others in this, but why do I have a hard time taking it to heart for myself? Praise God for His grace and that He does not keep record of our wrong-doings!

God saved you by his grace when you believed.

And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)

Thanks to my friend Tom for his devotional on Psalm 130 yesterday morning as that is what led me to share this story. Thanks for the encouragement, Tom! ...I don't know how to do links that don't look like links, so anyway, check out Tom's site if you like - he has some great insight as he goes through the scripture! http://creativepath.typepad.com/wayfarer/2009/07/chapteraday-psalm-130.html