Remnant Grace

via TJC

“But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes. Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace…

—Ezra 9:8-9a BSB

The scene in the verses above is of realization, confession, and restoration by God’s grace. Ezra has returned to Jerusalem to find the people intermarried with the people of the land who were not Israelites. This was in direct disobedience to God’s commandment. Here, the people had been given another chance to rebuild in the land they had lost, been exiled from, and returned to, but they had once again chosen to go against God’s Holy Word.

Does the story of realization, confession, and restoration by God’s grace sound familiar to you in your own life? It certainly does in mine. God, through His Holy Spirit, brought the realization of my sin to my heart and mind, convicted me to confess that sin, and by God’s grace, I was forgiven and restored to a right relationship with Him. He took away my sin. This grace does not give us a license to sin, confess, rinse, and repeat. On the contrary, this grace gives us “new life and light to our eyes,” even in our bondage. God does not forsake us in our bondage, but extends to us grace.

Daily Battle Order:

Are you living in bondage? Bondage to pornography, selfishness, materialism, alcohol, drugs, or any other idol you place above the God of grace? If so, I beg of you, stop right now, hit your knees, confess your sin to God, ask for his forgiveness, and trust His grace is greater than your sin. Do this now, do not wait any longer. God is waiting for you to do this so He can extend His grace and mercy to you, restore you, and preserve you as His remnant.