The
Grace Train
Perseverance must finish its work so
that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:4
Running at full stride, the man grabbed
the handle on the side of the boxcar and heaved himself aboard the
train. He cautiously scouted around to see if he’d intruded on
anyone, or anything. Finding neither man nor beast, he chose a
secluded spot behind some cargo boxes and settled in for the ride.
Unbeknownst to him, the railroad guard
had caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Unsure of what he’d
seen, the guard decided to check the cars, one at a time, looking for
anything out of place. Using his flashlight to illuminate the lanes
between cargo pallets, he looked for anything amiss. Twice he thought
he’d heard something but came up empty-handed. Finally, having
satisfied himself he’d been seeing things, he returned to the
caboose.
The man emerged from hiding as the door
of the boxcar slammed shut. His transient lifestyle had taught him
much of human nature. One of which was that most guards were fond of
their comfort, and would only search for so long. There were those,
however, who were relentless in their search, eventually finding and
evicting him at the next stop. He’d learned the hard way that
hopping trains wasn’t so hard; it was staying on for the ride that
posed a problem.
†
God’s grace, when first encountered,
is like taking hold of the handle on a boxcar and heaving ourselves
aboard a moving train. We know we’re in for a ride, and we're a
little bit scared, but it feels great!
Discovering grace is wonderful and
exciting. Persevering in our relationship with God requires
persistence...because it’s easier to catch the grace train,
than it is to take the ride.
When we first surrender to God, He’s
all about letting us know He’s there. As we mature in Christ, we
feel a little less, our instinct learns to trust more, and we
begin to learn to walk by faith. That’s how it’s meant to be.
Constant reassurance requires no faith.
God is asking us to remain on board for
the entire ride, persevering in faith during the times we don’t
feel His presence.
Prayer
“Teach me to trust by
faith, Lord; to know that You will always be wherever I am, ready to
quietly guide each step. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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