Portraits of Grace – Keren Burdick

God’s Sustaining and Overwhelming Grace

Just a little about myself before beginning the lesson. My name is Keren Burdick. I am a missionary serving under BIMI in Santa Lucia, Honduras. I just celebrated 6 years of being on the field. To say that God has not been with me the whole time would be an understatement.

I currently work with Iglesia Bautista Independiente Maranata en Santa Lucia (Maranatha Independent Baptist Church of Santa Lucia). I help with the ladies’ ministries, the Bible clubs, children’s ministries, visitation, discipleship, oversee teacher training, choir, and teach Bible in the public schools. Beyond these ministries, I help wherever I am needed.  If you would like to follow my ministry, you can find me on facebook by looking up Keren Burdick.

I accepted the Lord as my personal Savior when I was 6 years old. Six years later, I knew the Lord had something special for my life and couldn’t wait to see what it was. I felt He was calling me to the mission field. Now, before you start judging, ? I knew that I couldn’t go to a foreign field at that time, but was willing to do whatever He wanted. I began to prepare for the special job God had for me in His special timing. I finished high school and college with a Church music degree, thinking God was going to allow me to go the mission field right away, but He had other plans. The door to Honduras   didn’t open until 8 years later, but that is a whole other story!!!

How have I seen God’s grace in my life? For many years, my life verse has been Psalm 62:8 which says, “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” What does this verse say? Does it say to trust Him just in the good times? NO! It says trust Him at ALL times. Looking back on my life, I have had many ups and downs, many valleys, and many mountain tops. Who has been there for me thru each step of the way? God has! He has filled me with an unmeasurable amount of grace. If it weren’t for God’s grace, I don’t know exactly where I would be right now.

No, life is not a bed of roses. God never promised that everything would be easy for us. He did tell us, “In everything give thanks!” That shows us that He wants us to praise Him even in the storms. What does Hebrews 13:5 promise us? “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” How does He comfort us? By giving us the grace to continue on.

Dear one, if you are at the end of your rope and just don’t know how you can continue on or take one more step, rest in the assurance that God never leaves us. He promises to be our refuge and our help in time of trouble. Claim Psalm 37:4-5 which says, “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

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