When Paul wanted God to solve his problem by removing a source of pain and discouragement, God answered with a strategy that he also uses in our lives. He let the difficulty continue and instead directed Paul to his SUFFICIENT Grace.
Really knowing by experience and trusting in God's sufficient grace is a treasure once we discover it and EMBRACE IT. It isn't easy though! We usually expect that God will clear our path and deliver us out of pain and discouragement and "loss". It doesn't come naturally to suppose that God will answer our prayer with: "No. I have something better for you than rescue. I have perseverance in my sufficient grace."
Give some thought today to hard situations in your life and ask the Lord to give you the gift of seeing and experiencing his grace. Ask him for courage to lean on him more fully. And give him thanks that he is completely trustworthy.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Greater Grace
James 4:6 says that God gives us greater grace. Greater than what? I won't be dogmatic about this but my reading of the context indicates that the grace is greater than the intense desire that our nature has for the things of the world.
Fights and quarrels originate from desires within us. We covet and even kill but still don't get what we WANT! WANT!!
This intense desire puts us into enmity and hatred with God. We are cozy with the world but hard and cold toward God.
Scripture has told us that we have a spirit within us which envies intensely and we agree with this often in our experience when we give excuses for our behavior and act as though there were no other option than to cave in to sin . . . but . . God gives us greater grace than even the intense desires that wage a war within us. We are equipped!
Let's humble ourselves and ask for and receive this GREATER GRACE.
Fights and quarrels originate from desires within us. We covet and even kill but still don't get what we WANT! WANT!!
This intense desire puts us into enmity and hatred with God. We are cozy with the world but hard and cold toward God.
Scripture has told us that we have a spirit within us which envies intensely and we agree with this often in our experience when we give excuses for our behavior and act as though there were no other option than to cave in to sin . . . but . . God gives us greater grace than even the intense desires that wage a war within us. We are equipped!
Let's humble ourselves and ask for and receive this GREATER GRACE.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Let's Admin!
God's grace is administratable. He has gifted each one of us so that we are equipped to serve others in the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10). I consider this to be one of the awesome privileges of my life - to be able to deliver the lavish grace of God to another person.
Sometimes it comes through use of a spiritual gift such as teaching. Sometimes it happens by saying that word that you feel burns in your heart, or maybe by lending a hand in service. The amazing thing of course is that God has chosen to let his rich, pure grace flow through one fragile human vessel to another.
When this happens you will know the unspeakable thrill of being one with God in his loving and perfect purposes. You will taste his kingdom and rejoice in his glory, all the while being sure that it is all because of our Lord and Savior, who reconciled us to our Father in the first place. Without him and his costly intervention we are unworthy.
Show us today, Lord, where and how we can administrate your lavish grace.
Sometimes it comes through use of a spiritual gift such as teaching. Sometimes it happens by saying that word that you feel burns in your heart, or maybe by lending a hand in service. The amazing thing of course is that God has chosen to let his rich, pure grace flow through one fragile human vessel to another.
When this happens you will know the unspeakable thrill of being one with God in his loving and perfect purposes. You will taste his kingdom and rejoice in his glory, all the while being sure that it is all because of our Lord and Savior, who reconciled us to our Father in the first place. Without him and his costly intervention we are unworthy.
Show us today, Lord, where and how we can administrate your lavish grace.
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