‘As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you, O God’. (Psalm 42:1)‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)
It seems as if I grew up with Sir Bruce Forsyth on Saturday night TV. He was the king of the catch phrase; who can forget ‘Didn’t they do well’, ‘Good game, good game’, ‘You’re my favourites’ and ‘Keep dancing’?
The tributes following his death indicate that he was regarded as a national treasure and the consummate professional.
As I thought about Brucie’s legacy of performing in show business for over seven decades, I began to reflect on my life as a Christian. How have I performed? Could I be regarded as the king of anything? Am I the consummate Christian?
Sadly, I would have to conclude that if my future with God depended on me, then it would be uncertain and I could feel nothing but insecure.
However, the Christian gospel is the good news that my future is not determined by the goodness of my heart but by the goodness of God’s; and his heart is full of love and grace.
In God’s eyes the whole of humanity are his treasures, and no matter what our past performance has been, he welcomes us home through the free grace and forgiveness extended to us in his Son, The Lord Jesus Christ.
All we have to do is accept the gift God so wants to give us and come on home.
When we do, in my mind’s eye, our Father will be waiting there for us, and will say ‘Nice to see you, to see you, nice!’
Have a good week living in God’s grace,
Pastor Barry
