living hope

The Word of God is so refreshing. I don't know what it is about the Word that cuts me to the core.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. - 1 Peter 1:3-9

I believe that God hasn't given me more than I can bear. My stumbling is always preceded and followed by leaps and bounds - enormous measures of grace. Even though I fail so many times, I know that because of Jesus' blood, I am pleasing to God. I know that He delights in me...even now! I know that He's proud of me, not because of what I've done, but because I am His. This knowledge...it makes every pain and insecurity disappear, but I need to remember it constantly, and to have faith in the blood of Jesus. Compared to what the world has to offer me, I'd say this is the better deal :)