Micah 5:2; Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 4:3; Romans 8:29-30; Romans 8:31-39

ABBA, 

Once more I am reminded that Your work of salvation was no accident—no response, no reaction to man’s actions.  It was not unexpected by You.  You provided and permitted a way for sin to enter.  While You did not and could not be the author or the origin of sin (James 1:13), as the Sovereign of all things, You DID open the door and watch with grim determination as it smugly sauntered in past You.  It had to be.  Though You could not and did not take pleasure in its entrance, You WOULD take pleasure in what the final outcome would be.  You did this, not out of any love for evil, for that would not align with Your utter purity, but rather You did this for another purpose altogether.  You had a plan to execute Your own Son, putting Him to death for the very sin that YOU would let in to begin with.  Sin was nothing more than a filthy, but necessary, tool to expose the utter perfections of Your person.  And in destroying the sin You permitted entrance to—we would see You—we would see the weight of Your worth and delight in You.

Wonder of wonders!

The gospel was not reactive.  It was pro-active.  It was not a response to man’s sin but predetermined before sin ever came into being.  This was planned revelation from Your throne.  This was a revealing of Your divine self to us.  

Abba, this truth ought to shake me to my core every time I am reminded of it.  You orchestrated it all, for Your glory and my good.  And because I see it, because Your Spirit has opened my eyes to see it, my heart worships at Your feet—Your nail pierced feet.  How beautiful are they!

Thank You for being such a glorious God!  Thank You for being a God of grace and mercy!  Thank You for loving so completely — for deriving such a a horrific plan to expose the utter pricelessness of Your person for me to see and savor!  

Thank You for giving my heart grace to delight in You!