Roll Away Your Stone

I recently rediscovered my love for Mumford & Sons.  Sure, this isn't a new song, Mumford isn't the latest and greatest...they are becoming old news.  It's been ages since I've heard some Mumford--they used to be everywhere.


I enjoy pretty much everything I've ever heard from them, but this one particular set of lyrics from "Roll Away Your Stone" always hits me:

Seems that all my bridges have been burnt,
But you say that's exactly how this grace thing works

Its not the long walk home that will change this heart,
But the welcome I receive with the restart

Because when our bridges are burned, when we're out of ways to make our lives work the way we want them to, when we've done, said, thought things we never dreamed we would, when everyone has walked away and we don't deserve anything...grace is there.  God's grace swoops in.  The thing is, if you deserved it, even a little bit-it wouldn't be grace.  You  can't earn grace...you can't follow a set of rules, walk a narrow enough path, jump through the "right" hoops or otherwise be "good enough" to merit God's grace.  It's a gift...given freely.  Following rules, jumping through hoops, going through the motions...that's not enough to change your heart, but accepting the gift of grace, love, mercy...that is what will change your heart.

If not, darkness is what will dominate the things we see...we have a choice--we can hold tight to our desires, never yielding to anyone or anything (including God) with our stake stuck in the ground, or we  can give them (our desires) to God, let Him use us for His glory and honor.  Because when we align our desires and our hearts with God's, we are told we can ask for anything in prayer and it will be given to us.

John 15: 

⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.