The Gift Of Grace

OUR NINTH GRANDCHILD, Charlotte Grace, was born as I was writing this devotion. Another sweet granddaughter is named Riley Grace. Grace is not a word I remember hearing when I was growing up, but it is a special gift I treasure now.

Grace is a foreign concept in a world that measures worth by performance. I grew up in that world. Perhaps you did too—and you may live in it even now. As you think about the merits of grace, imagine what it would be like to move into a world where you can fall, fail, or flounder, and grace enables you to get up and keep going.

There are many definitions of grace, but my favorite is “unmerited favor.” We are blessed with a gift we can’t afford and do not deserve. Salvation is the supreme example of grace: “By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, emphasis added). Our salvation is a free gift, wrapped in God’s love and purchased for a high price—the life of His Son. God gets all the credit, so we have no bragging rights.

Grace doesn’t stop at salvation, though. God promises grace for every day—for problems we can’t solve, people we can’t love, habits we can’t break, challenges we can’t handle, and pasts we can’t get past. For all of these and more, there is grace. Please don’t wait as long as I did to comprehend that God’s grace is enough for anything we face. Our enemy deceives us into believing there is a limit to God’s grace, and we have reached it. The apostle Paul had an unidentified struggle he called his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). But when he asked God to get rid of it, the Lord encouraged him with these words: “My grace is sufficient for you” (verse 9).

God’s grace is sufficient for any and all situations: when we do the very thing we promised not to do, disappoint people who were counting on us, forget what we should have remembered, say something we shouldn’t, habitually arrive late, hurt people we love, and whatever else we can add to the list. No matter what our failures are, we will never live in a place God’s grace cannot reach. My favorite grace verse reminds us that our High Priest, Jesus, was tempted just like we are, so He understands our weaknesses even though He didn’t sin. Then it continues, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, emphasis added).

The consequences of rejecting the truth of God’s grace are grave, so we must remind ourselves and the people we care about to make the conscious commitment to hold on to it. Although we can’t go backward and have a new start, God’s grace lets us leave the past behind. Then His gift of grace enables us to reach forward to a brand-new middle and ending. Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13-14 are a good reminder: “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

The grace of God empowers us to walk with Him, talk with Him, and live a life that reflects His glory. It infuses us with the energy to do what He calls us to do and to live out His wonderful plan for our lives. We are accepted, forgiven, and empowered by enough grace to also extend it to people in our spheres. Passing out grace like we do tracts on mission trips affords us life-impacting opportunities to influence others.

REFLECTION

Memorize 2 Corinthians 12:9, a short but important reminder that God’s grace is sufficient for everything we encounter in life. What do you need His grace for today? Spend a few minutes thanking the Lord for His grace that saved you, and then ask for grace to honor Him in whatever you do. As you unwrap God’s gift of grace to you, reflect on the words from “Amazing Grace,” written by a former slave-ship owner who repented of his sin and received forgiveness from our gracious God. Read or sing the words below, or listen to a recording of this beautiful hymn.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind but now I see.^a