"When my life was ebbing away,I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD." - Jonah 2:7-9
If not for your grace. Salvation comes from God. I was listening to a song this morning by Israel and New Breed, titled If not for your grace and I began to think about what that means.
This scripture today is from the prophet Jonah. We know that Jonah was given an assignment from God that he did not want to do so he ran. But in his running from the work of God, he was also running into a dark situation (we find him in the belly of the fish).
Jonah gives this message after he has been rescued by God from his "grave-like" situation. Jonah said when his life was wasting away he thought about God and called to him. When you and I are in some grave like situations we must remember to call on God and know he will come to our rescue. He remembers in the rejoicing about God's goodness that those that hold to false idols lose the grace of God, that grace which saves us from our situation, our circumstances and even ourselves!
He is encouraged that he will keep every vow he has given to God after God came to his rescue. You and I should be thankful for the grace of God that releases us from our grave-like (death) situations. We should be thankful for the grace of God that saves us from sin, but also from the pits that are before us. This grace of God restores, redeems, and releases us. It releases us to worship, to serve so we can keep every vow we have given to the Lord.
So today, think this thought, were would you be without God's grace? I hope you listen today to the song "if not for your grace" on the video's listed on the side of the blog. And when you listen think about the grace of God that saves us.
I pray today that you would set someone free. Someone is in a grave like situation (even if it because of their own doing). Let your grace, God release someone from bondage and set them free; from death to life. We thank you today for your grace.
