Grace…reach out and touch it.
Grace.
Have we gotten away from grace in this world?
I spent time on the phone tonight talking with someone who was contemplating ending their life. According to them, the hardships in life, the pain of their past, the feeling of being unloved and unwanted was exactly what God had planned for them.
It is hard for me to associate words such as pain and feeling unloved with God. Everything about God is love and grace.
Ephesians 2:8,9 “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift, not from works, so that no one can boast.”
God’s grace covers all. Every pain. Every bad memory. Every trial. Every tear shed. Every broken heart. God’s grace not only covers everything, but it covers everybody.
“Grace, grace. God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.”
The hymns that I love, capture the essence of what the grace of God is all about. To have a fulfilling Christian life, one must comprehend the grace!
But what is grace?
First of all, grace is not mercy. Mercy, is the act of being spared from judgement. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace, on the other hand, is freely given. It is the unmerited favor and love of God. Plainly spoken, grace is getting what we do not deserve!
I wish that everyone would accept this free gift from God. The one on the phone tonight needed God’s grace. But like so many, they wouldn’t reach out and grab it. The pain and the problems overshadowed their view of His power. They were determined that they were getting exactly what God had planned for them.
Yes, they were! But what God had in store for them was not what they had thought. God’s grace and love is being extended to them, this very moment, and all they have to do is reach out and grab it.
How about you…do you think bad things in your life is what God intends for you?
Nothing in this world can satisfy. The enemy wants us all to think that we are living a hopeless, loveless, and miserable life. But God has one thing to say about that…
“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.”
Thank God for grace. His wonderful grace. Just reach out and grab it. His wonderful, loving, and peaceful grace is right in front of you.
Mercy is NOT getting what we DO deserve. Grace is getting what we DON’T deserve. Love that distinction. Great post.
As a teen, I attempted suicide. When I failed, I thought “I can’t even do this right.” It’s hard to accept grace when there seems no hope. All you see is what right in front of your eyes. It’s hard to shift the lens to see the wider picture. I will be praying for your friend.
wonderful post.
Amen to that Laurie; His grace is truly amazing. The world is harsh, but He placed us here to point other to this amazing grace.