Grace By Which I Stand

“In the beginning”… so starts the Genesis saga. God’s ex nihilo (something from nothing) work is dramatically wonderful. By the power of his word, the tapestry of creation is woven right before His eyes. Life happens. Until, that is, the fall in Genesis 3. Such a beautiful start, such a miserable fall.

I think about Judas, chosen as one of the twelve, by the sovereign hand of God no less. Jesus prayed all night before designating his imperfect posse, the motley crew of fisherman, tax collectors, zealots, etc. It was not a flighty decision. Yet, Judas became a traitor. (Lk 6:16) Even if a person of exceptional perception examined the kaleidoscope of personalities Jesus had rounded up, I doubt he would we have been able to point out Judas as the would-be traitor. Was there anything on Judas’ face that told of his potential to betray. We can speculate, anticipate, and take our best guess, but it is impossible to determine how people will turn out, isn’t it?

Today, on my youngest’s first birthday, I am filled with this thought: It’s so easy to start well, but it is not so easy to finish well. Her baptism this past Easter was a moment of great internal tension for this growing father, between celebration and sadness. Celebration, because she will have the prayers of a covenant community behind her and the grace of God falling upon her. Sadness, because I am a realist and I know she will be thrown into a hard, sinful world, with sins in her own heart. As she begins her life, I wonder How will she deal with successes and failures? When will she understand the gospel? What seminal moments will inspire her or spiral her into cynicism? What will she become? In a nutshell, how will she finish? That’s the question hovering over me today. Will my baby girl, the rest of my kids, my wife, myself, my friends, my church…. will we be faithfully, until the end, straining toward the finish line with craned necks?

This morning, like every other weekday morning, I drove my oldest to school. It’s a nice dad-daughter moment to start the day: a short drive and conversation, park, walk with her hand in hand to her class line. Lately though, she’s been stopping me from walking her in. I guess I’m crampin’ her style. With laughter in her eyes, she says, “Daddy (as in Daddy-did-you-forget?), I can walk myself in now.” It’s hard, but I know what I have to do. Release her hand and watch her walk into the mass of kids running around inside the gate. As I watch the back of her pink coat, I think to myself, ‘Where has the time gone?’ It seems like yesterday I was holding her to be baptized. Lord, I release my family, my church, and myself into your powerful and kind arms. Help us to all finish well. We are helpless without your grace.

Read this song from the 70’s. Great great lyrics.

Grace By Which I Stand, by Keith Green

Lord, the feelings are not the same
I guess I’m older, I guess I’ve changed
And how I wish it had been explained
that as you’re growing you must remember
That nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand, in Jesus
I know that I would surely fall away, except for grace, by which I’m saved

Lord, I remember that special way
I vowed to serve you, when it was brand new
But like Peter, I can’t even watch and pray, one hour with you
And I bet, I could deny you too
But nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand, in Jesus
I’m sure that my whole life would waste away, except for grace, by which I’m saved

But nothing lasts, except the grace of God, by which I stand, in Jesus.
I know that I would surely fall away, except for grace, by which I’m saved.

Oh one more thing… before my daughter rounds the last part of the fence to mingle with her friends, she always makes sure to turn around one last time to flash her goofy half-toothed smile at me and wave. It’s as if she’s saying, “Don’t worry Daddy. God’s grace is enough.” Indeed, it is more than enough.