Brand Plucked from the Fire.

Zechariah 3:2-4 (read the whole chapter!-- it's that good)
 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.”

We are Brands Plucked from the fire. My heart was full as I was reminded of this scripture--- this past week. Randomly? (not so random... hello Spirit) the thought "a brand plucked from the fire" came to mind. I went home and looked back in my journal... it was the same passage He gave me two years ago! and even better--- it was the exact day. I hope that gives you goose bumps. He is a God of the details... hello!!!!

This passage is one of those monumental ones that He gave me in the midst of some difficult circumstances a couple years ago. He has since always brought me back here during the same time for the past two years. I love it! How deep the Father's love for us! He knows how dear, how much I saw/see His hand and the timing of this passage, and can't help but be overjoyed when He reminds me. Of what He has done and is doing. His protection and provision.

Satan is our accuser. But notice God rebukes him. He is our defender!
 He refers to the people as chosen, brands plucked from the fire.  He has plucked us out, taken our inquity...He himself has clothed us with pure vestments... robes of righteousness.And now there is no condemnation for for those who are in Christ Jesus. We can walk in freedom. We were once dead in our sin... hello.. dead means dead as in dead as a doornail. There was nothing we could do to be made right with God, just as Joshua did nothing to be take away his inquity or clothe himself in this passage. Beautiful picture of the gospel! 

 God being rich in mercy,because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4

Grace,” Erasmus explained, “is like one parent on the far side of a room encouraging and cajoling his child to walk towards the parent waiting on the other side of the room.”

“No,” Martin Luther countered. “Grace is like a caterpillar in a ring of fire. The only help is from above.”

How neat is that! Thankful for Grace. and to be a Brand Plucked from the Fire.
You can burst into singing or do a jig right now.  I won't tell anybody. :)






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