It was a full thirty years ago when I used to listen to Gary S. Paxton who would sing these words. "He was there all the time.......He was there all the time......waiting patiently in line......He was there all the time!" I feel I know of a certainty why those few song lyrics are still today so clearly retained in my memory. It is because I perceived them to be SO VERY TRUE. I cannot speak for another, but in my case, the memories of the Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit convicting me of sin and drawing me unto Himself, are some of my very earliest memories. I only called out to Him after He first, for an extended period of time, had been drawing me unto Himself. Jesus spoke of this truth to His disciples in John 15:16. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. Jesus, by the Holy Spirit is the initiator. He takes the first step in establishing a relationship with every person, and this truth is not only true as He draws people to Himself for salvation, but it is true all of our lives long as we walk with Him. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and do of His good pleasure. This friend is the working of grace. There is no good thing that we have, but that His grace did not lead us into it. Yes, we have had to respond in order to receive the benefits of his grace, but that is the nature of the relationship. He is the initiator, we are the responder.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 05:42:18 +0000