"Filled With Grace"

"He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth." (Psalms 105:7)
When I was a child, that is how I approached God, earnestly and afraid, but wanting something. It was never really about knowing who He was or trying to draw closer to Him; it was about Him saving me from whatever mess I had gotten myself into, or making my step-dad quit beating on me or my mother. Our Lord has compassion in those situations, I truly believe He does and He did, even though I had not accepted Him yet into my heart. I have heard it said by some, "God does not listen to the unbelievers," and I have never ever accepted that as truth. The definition of grace is enough to tell us that God does listen; not only does He listen, but I most certainly believe that His hand was upon my life, even before the day that I was born. We don't just become His children when we are born again; when we are born again, we are confirmed that we are His children; and it is not to God, it is to ourselves. So no one can try and convince me that God was not listening all those times when I wept bitterly and cried out to Him, because I know it's not true. What is it that we have to offer to God? Our very life! And it's not a one time deal; we don't just say a prayer and call the deal done; it is a life, the day to day life that we live. Our body is now the property of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior; it is no longer our own. I think that we sometimes forget that, as we make a life of our own, in so many different ways. There is nothing that we offer God that counts for anything, except that we lay down our lives. Besides, anything that we have to offer, is from Him in the first place. That includes are very life! When do you think you actually became the property of Jesus? Was it the day that you asked Him into your heart? When did Jacob become the chosen one of God? We really don't deserve anything, it has all been freely given! His "judgments" are exactly that, they are His, and His alone! He decides who His children are, we don't have the kind of power that we think that we have; thank goodness for that...
""This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What's more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! "I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God."" (Genesis 17:4-8) NLT