The Grace Train
July 18
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.
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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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