“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 NKJV.

Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13.

Our chapter, Romans 4, brings the word justified, a word I honestly have never truly understood. So I googled it: “Justification is a one-time legal act of God where a believer is declared righteous and forgiven, while sanctification is the ongoing, progressive process of becoming holy. Justification is a completed event that frees a person from the penalty of sin, but sanctification is a continual work that frees them from the power of sin over time.” My question is, is it for believers only in the sense we think? What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven; and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.” Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. v. 1-12. In the early church this issue was huge. People of the Jewish faith were brought together with those not of their faith and they were having a hard time reconciling that God could accept those not circumcised when that was such a defining element of their outward faith in God that made them only His chosen people. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “A father of many nations I have made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. v. 13-25.

When I took that to God in prayer, He reminded me that all of life is for learning and growing and changing toward what is good and true and needed. And His love is the center bringing everything together in His love. Turning to Him in trust is the way. It isn’t only one path. It’s living life and turning to Him always…in joy, fear, for help to understand, for provision, for protection, for safety in storms within and without, for love He gives, for thanksgiving, for sharing, for delight and hope…for help when we are lost and nothing makes sense. Turn to Him always. And I felt relief in that. Because everything and everyone ultimately is in His care. One of the things I have so many problems with is just how many of us there are throughout time; and all of us with problems and attitudes and sins – some darkly grievous, but also love and hope and kindness. I can’t get bogged down in how Creator God, Father, Son, Spirit, is going to work everything out because that is not my right. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. No matter how good we think we are, we none of us have anything to boast about before God. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered…Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account…that’s all of us. Can we live day to day into so great a Love and turn to Him who is with us always? How about trusting Him for those we love – and – for everyone He loves? In the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist…I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…who IS and who was and who is to come, the Almighty…For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. We can wrestle with the words and come up short every time in understanding God’s love. But through it all, through every struggle, remember Creator God IS. Yesterday on Facebook I shared something I’m reading by Dr. C. Baxter Kruger from his book Patmos…”Not God alone, but God and humanity together, constitute the meaning of Jesus.”