Laced With Grace

This year I am participating in the A-Z Memory Verse Challenge at the blog She Sparkles. This week the verse for letter H was posted. “How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!” Psalm 47:2

It just made me smile to read this verse! What a great truth and such a good verse to have memorized!

Awesome is a word we hear used frequently, probably many times in situations where the word truly does not fit. What does the word awesome mean? The dictionary definition says “inspiring awe.” And the definition of the word awe is “an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like.”

Awesome definitely is a word that we can use to describe our Lord! Since reading this verse in the Memory Verse Challenge, I have been thinking of ways that the Lord is awesome in my own life. Here are just a few from the past few days:

*An answer to a prayer. I had an answer almost immediately after praying which was just amazing to me.
*A colorful, swirly sunset.  The colors were just fascinating to see stretching across the sky.
*Remembering and reflecting on our Savior’s death and resurrection
*Receiving grace
*Hearing birds singing their different tunes before the sun comes up
* Beauty of a rose bush in bloom

When was the last time you have stopped and realized the awesomeness of our Lord? I challenge you to look for His awesome power on display in your life today.  Stand in awe of Him and all He has done!

Have a day of blessings!

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
(Romans 3:23-26 ESV emphasis mine)

Several weeks ago I wanted to substitute my well-trusted detergent with a cheaper one. I believed the promise of the commercial that it would do just a great job as the other, more expensive ones. I should have known better. I fell into the trap of promises made by an ad campaign.

Many fall into a different trap; the trap of salvation. “All religions lead to heaven” they are being told; you just have to be good enough, do enough good works, and the pearly gates of heaven will open for you.

It took me many years to realize that I never can be good enough to make it on my own to heaven. I listened to the world: “Do good and all will end well”.

I love Jesus’ conversation with the rich young man recorded in Matthew 19:

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
(Matthew 19:16-22 ESV ~ emphasis mine)

There is always something that I lack on a daily basis. Mostly that I do not love my neighbor as myself. Sometimes I have a hard time loving the unlovable, the difficult people in my life…

I am thankful that God gave me a way to spend eternity with Him. He sent His Son as my Substitute. He paid my penalty of death (Romans 6:23). The greatest thing about the Substitute is that is is not just for me but for all who put their trust in Jesus.

Lord of Heaven and Earth. Thank You that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You sent Your Son to be our substitute in order for us to spend eternity in heaven with You and those who went before us. Lord, give us the words to share this incredible story with those we come in contact with. Help us to love the unlovable so that they may see You in us. In the precious name of Jesus ~ Amen.

Photo & Content Copyright © Iris Nelson

As I was thinking what I would share today on Valentine’s Day, my thoughts kept coming back to three words: Jesus loves you.

We grow up hearing, reading, and watching love stories. Of all the love stories ever written though, His story of love for you is the most beautiful and most powerful.

God sent His Son Jesus to this earth as a baby, something He didn’t have to do. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11, 12

Jesus walked and lived on the earth as a man, yet without sinning. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

He hung on an ugly cross for our sins and died between two thieves. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

But that wasn’t the end of the story! He rose from that grave just as He said He would do. “In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.” Luke 24:5-8

He did not have to do any of these things for us, yet He did. Jesus loves you!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16, 17

It is hard to grasp such love with our human minds, but He wants you to accept His love He freely offers.

Whatever you are going through right now, Jesus loves you! I wanted to remind you of that today in case you forgot or didn’t know.

JESUS loves you.
Jesus LOVES you.
Jesus loves YOU.

Happy Valentine’s Day!