Encouragement
You are precious to me and because I love you and give you honor. Do not be afraid - I am with you!” Isaiah 43:4
First Impressions are always the lasting ones. The first time always holds a special poignancy. We can never forget the first time we met someone, the first emotions, the first impact, the first time we won a prize, the first time we experienced a new dimension to our lives.
Today, I was reflecting on the words of the Hymn; 'Amazing Grace' “How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.” It struck me that God’s grace is available in plenty at all times but we fail to recognize it. It is only when we begin to trust and believe in Him that this grace becomes acutely visible to us and we realize the value of this precious grace.
The next words of the hymn further complements; “I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see.” This is true for those who turn to God after either being away from him or not having known Him at all. The golden moment of acknowledgement is the first moment of their lives with Christ.
As we look back, there are numerous first time impressive moments in the Bible. The first time Abraham entered the land of Canaan flowing with milk and honey, the first time the Israelites set foot on the promised land after wandering in the desert for forty years, the first time Jesus performed a miracle at Cana, the first time the apostles saw the glory of Jesus when he was transfigured, the first time the woman at the well experienced God’s salvation when Jesus promises her the Water of Eternal life, the first time Nicodemus meets Jesus and is astounded at the perception of his thoughts, the first time the man who was born blind could see after Jesus cures him.
Jesus also speaks strongly about spiritual blindness;“I came into the world so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind.” (John 10:39.) He also accuses the Pharisees of being blind though they could see; “If you were blind, then you would not be guilty; but since you claim that you can see, this means that you are still guilty.” (John 10:41)
Today, in the world, spiritual blindness is widely rampant. We see but do not discern, our visions are clouded, we are walking in the fog and until the mist disperses and the veil is lifted we will never be able to gaze clearly into the eyes of our Lord.
Let us recall all the first moments that captured our hearts, specially the first time we experienced God in a strong and powerful way and believed in His saving grace.
Maria Franco
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