The Message Bible—Romans 5:1-5.
By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide-open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:1-5 MSG)
Let’s personalize these scriptures… God has made you right with Him through Christ. That’s what He wanted for you when He created you. God has thrown open the doors of Heaven to you. He wants you to throw open the doors of your heart, your mind, your spirit to Him. And now you are standing where you have always hoped to stand—out in the wide-open spaces of His grace and glory.
Let’s take a few moments … I want to ask you to express Your praise to God. Whether you shout or you are silent, take a moment to worship like Paul expressed, as he calls it standing tall and shouting our praise.
Please know that the enemy of God and the ways of this world do not want you to know who you truly are in Christ. So that is exactly why the battle is so strong on so many of your days to pull you down and keep you down. But please, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking … never stop. Know who you are and only go deeper in your relationship with Christ. You will never find the end of Him this side of Heaven, so I want to inspire you to dive deep in His grace and in His glory.
Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, we worship You today as the One who gives us our life, our breath, and our identity. You alone establish our worth and our value. Help me, lead me, to just keep asking, seeking, and knocking to know You deeper and higher and farther and longer in Your love until I come home to be with You. As above, so below.”