Thankfully, that is where I find myself these days...in the great grip of HIS GRACE. His sovereign grace over my life is so evident. Especially on the days when I look at my sinful heart and see the dark ugliness of it. I see my ugliness and I see His beautiful grace. Even a sweet smile on my face can not cover the seriousness of my sin. I may look to have a calm and peaceful appearance, but on the inside there a raging battle going on...The battle that sometimes I forget has already been won. I want to be a godly woman who truly loves others and wants to live 100% for Him while serving my family with no reservations, looking lovingly at my husband and only having wonderful thoughts of him, being totally submissive to him as he leads our family, doing what pleases him instead of what pleases myself, caring for my children with the most tender hands and sweet words, showing hospitality often with no pride of caring what others think, living day by day with little worry or fretting...but my heart is utterly selfish...without God's sweet intervention of grace I would be losing the battle.

Without God's safe place of grace in my life, I would be striving in my own strength to be the woman I could NEVER be on my own. I would be losing the battle. Everyday, I would be losing it in my own strength. But that is not all...I would be loving the world and seeking to be awed by it. I would seek pleasure from things that glittered and sparkled. I would be an adulteress wanting the attention of all who would give it to me. I would seek self glorification and be unhappy unless I was highly esteemed by others. I would love the darkness and be satisfied staying in it. I would be a lover of self and a hater of the glorious God. I would die in my darkness, thinking this world was all there was and cursing it knowing nothing in it truly satisfies. What utter depravity.

This was me...before God put me in a place called grace.

Grace--His irresistible grace. When you have seen it in your life, you can not resist it. Think about how much we need His smile on us...without it we are doomed for a life of sin. Christ's selfless sacrifice satisfied God's wrath ...His sacrifice made God's wrath turn to a smile. I am no longer a slave to the darkness of sin. His grace has made me alive in Him and I am appalled at my past sins and daily sins I still struggle with today. But, thankfully, God has forgiven me. How undeserving we are. Doesn't it just make you want to thank God?

The battle in my heart has been won by the precious blood of Christ. My feet are firm held by HIS GRACE!