Hosanna Restoration Church

Deserve is an interesting word. Some folks think they deserve the best for doing nothing. Some folks think they deserve nothing no matter what they do. Some pay more attention to what they think others deserve and do not deserve than they do to themselves. Well, it occurs to me that another part of being transformed by the renewing of our minds is involved in the idea of what is and is not deserved.
Solomon prayed that God would hear and forgive. So He must have been hoping that what they would get is forgiveness in return for their asking for it. He gave God space to do whatever He wanted based on how pure their motives were. Motives and intentions of the heart are another area we try to get caught up in, but that just is not in our ability to do. So we can renew our minds in this area and stay out of it!
A fresh start for our minds is to accept the fact that Jesus did a switch with us. He took what we deserved so we could have what He deserved. He was without sin, but suffered for our sins, so we could be forgiven and receive the reward that He did when He sat down at the right hand of Our Father. That is amazing grace and that grace played a part in our lives long before we ever understood anything about it.
I really do not totally understand how it worked in my life before Christ, nor do I totally comprehend it now; I only know that He was faithful long before I was and He remains faithful. It is not based on my comprehension but on His decision to save all who would believe. I never could argue with anyone who suggested that I could not possibly be forgiven so easily for all that I did before I invited Christ into my life. I also could not figure out how I would ever earn it, so I opted for the free gift, that way I would not waste years trying to make up for what I could not make up for and instead move on in His Kingdom.
The best thing we can do to honor God is believe what He promises. If we believe we are forgiven because of Jesus, we move from undeserving to deserving. This should produce a grateful heart that now desires to walk with God without fear of failure. Remember, His perfect love casts out fear.
God is able to complete the good work He has begun in us. Are we willing to believe it? It is not whether or not we deserve His love, it is if we are willing to believe and receive it. If we put more effort into the believing and receiving, we will get away from the condemnation of what we or someone else thinks we deserve, and simply rejoice in the goodness of God. Do it! Rejoice! God wants this more than anything. Praise and bring glory to Him by trusting Him.