Grace

Grace- It is only by grace we are saved. 

Ephesians 2:8 NASB

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Isaiah 30:18 NASB

Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.

Day 110: Grace saves us

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Ephesians 2:8-10 NASB

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. '

         There is one area where I have never struggled with in my life, my ability to take credit for what I have done, especially when I believe it was a good thing. This speaks to my nature to boast and be prideful in my work. It stems from when I was a kid. I emotionally shutdown in the 5th grade and turned off everything. While this may be hurtful to my family to admit, it was due to lots of changes happening in our lives and my mind and heart assuming responsibility for things beyond my capacity as a child to process. I felt like I was to blame for everything in our family. Any time my parents were upset, to any little trigger, I thought I was at fault.

         As a result of those misappropriated perceptions, I shutdown as a human. I had some struggles in school that also contributed to my delinquency. As a result of what ended up being about a year of my life, I then went the opposite way as my pendulum swung from one extreme to the other as a child. Branded as a failure, as I repeated the 5th grade, in a small k-8 country school, I developed an arrogance to protect myself. I boasted in myself to rebuild my heart and mind. The patterns established during these seasons of my life have been difficult to overcome at best and they are the slippery slope that the enemy uses against me whenever he can.

         These experiences led me down a path that has brought me to where I am today. Since I assumed the emotional turmoil of those seasons, I became a chaos coordinator. I learned how to outthink emotional trauma and plan for the absolute worst in every situation, so I would be prepared to deal with the fallout of emotions. I became good at hiding and keeping everyone at a distance. Even at 17 when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I knew there was nothing of myself I could offer, but I stilled worked to manage the pain associated with life. I knew I would never be able to take credit for my salvation because it was by grace we are saved.

         What I did not know until I became an inner room fanatic is that it is by grace we are to operate in everything in our lives, including our BOASTING. We can take pride in God’s grace because it is from HIM, by HIM, and for HIM! We were saved from experiencing God’s wrath through Jesus’s gift on the cross. He took on His wrath to offer us this beautiful example of God’s grace poured out in our lives. Then, He grants us work in the sharing of His grace to others, thus increasing His glory and beauty being multiplied in this world. This grace is an abundance in our lives that we must embrace and boast about to all we see and meet. In this section we will see examples in God’s word where God has poured out His grace, counter to times of wrath, thus exploring the nature of God’s grace.

Dear Graceful Father,

         Your authority and grace are abundant. We cannot begin to fathom the depth, the height, the width, or the length of Your abundant grace and love for us. You overcome our sin with Your grace. We do not deserve such favor from You Jesus, yet You give it so freely. Let us share in this good work with others helping plant the seeds of faith You will cultivate in others’ hearts increasing the acceptance of Your grace and gifts to Your creation. Grant us the ability to serve out of Your grace and boast in the works of Jesus Christ alone. We love you Jesus. Thank You for Your grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Day 111: Abundance of love

Ephesians 3:14-21

“For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

         Four-dimensional love, is this even possible? Notice the wording here, “…you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth…” This speaks to God’s love penetrating so deep within us that we have no way to fully comprehend it. We will always fall short of full understanding for it is beyond our capacity to understand. Reading this whole passage is beyond encouraging for it grounds us in the rooted truth.

         When I was a kid, I would often go on trips to Fall Creek Falls area with my dad and grandfather in Eastern Tennessee up on the plateau. This part of Tennessee is full of rolling hills and rocky terrain. One of the things I remember is a story my grandfather talked about how to survive a cold night if you got caught out in one and you were trying to stay warm. You see, all around the hills and mountains in this area whenever you walk through the woods you encounter trees that have been blown over by storms. When those trees were pushed over, it would turn up a huge root complex.

         Now those trees were grounded in that they had significant ground attached to them, but they lacked something. They lacked a depth of roots that would hold them in the aggressive winds that Tennessee is known to encounter. Many times, those trees grew on large flat rocks that made their roots spread wide, but not deep.  When the soil becomes saturated with water and the wind becomes high, the tree falls turning up a place where shelter was naturally made. My grandfather said that with a little effort, you could crawl up in one of those root balls and make yourself shelter in the most difficult of situations and find yourself a place to be insulated from the cold.

         I never doubted his knowledge, and I have always taken him at his word. Even as a wildlife field photographer I have been on excursions where guides have led us to the root balls for bear dens, so I know there is truth found in my grandfather’s wisdom. All of this suggests the reasons Paul is instructing us to not only be grounded but rooted in love. God’s message is one ultimately of love. The absolute truth is He loves us and we are to be grounded in His love through Jesus and His grace. Yet, we are to allow ourselves the ability to root deep into His word and seek Him through this life. This is why we have the Holy Spirit in tune with our inner self. Finally- a little nugget of wisdom- if we are to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self- are we not supposed to do that in our “inner” rooms??? That Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith…

Dear Gracious Father,

         Your might and power are overwhelming to our souls. We have no idea how to breathe in Your expansive nature and overwhelming love. We desire to seek You first and for You to be our final thoughts in each day. Lord, we desire to be found in Your will as we are thankful for everything this day would bring. Let us seek Your promises and understand glimpses of Your beauty and love in our lives. We will never fully comprehend the abundance of love You have for us. Even in Your wrath, You love. In Your discipline, You love. In Your grace, You love. Our response, we love and worship You Jesus. Thank You for Your sacrifice and forgiveness to save us from Your wrath, which allows us to be overwhelmed with Your love and compassion. Thank You Jesus, amen.

Day 112: Grace and Peace

         The apostle Paul wrote 13 letters of the New Testament. In every letter he wrote the same phrase, grace and peace. Paul knew that true peace only comes through the grace offered by Jesus Christ. We must accept grace before we truly know peace… Let God’s word speak grace and peace over you today and manifest itself in God’s beauty being revealed in your day.  

Romans 1:7

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. '

1 Corinthians 1:3

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. '

2 Corinthians 1:2

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. '

Galatians 1:3
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, '

Ephesians 1:2

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. '

Philippians 1:2

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. '

Colossians 1:2
'To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

1 Thessalonians 1:1

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.

2 Thessalonians 1:2

Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. '

Titus 1:4

To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. '

Philemon 1:3

Grace and peace to you#1:3 The Greek is plural; also in verses 22 and 25; elsewhere in this letter “you” is singular. from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. '

1 Timothy 1:2

To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. '

2 Timothy 1:2

To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. '

Dear Grace and Peace-filled Father,

         Thank You for Your overwhelming grace and peace. Your power is unmatched in bringing contentment and peace through Your presence. Jesus, Your grace has covered me when I was broken, restored, bitter, and full of joy. Your grace has led me to peace and rest in You Father. I cannot thank You enough for the overwhelming knowledge of Your grace. It has led me to glimpse the depth of Your love. Your love has given me such hope in temporary situations. I trust Your will for my life Jesus. Let me always lead with thanksgiving for grace for it leads to peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Day 113: By grace, not works

Romans 11:1-6

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me.”

And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. '

        The gift of grace has been around since before the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. If you believed that it only came in with Jesus, that would simply not be true. Grace and mercy came into the world prior to the sacrificial system that was established to cover our sins. There was pre-fall grace in God’s provision for all of Adam and Eve’s needs and when He walked in their presence. While just created beings, they did not necessarily deserve that kind of access to the Creator. They received His un-merited favor. This is the same grace and mercy we receive today!

         During the fall of Adam and Eve, God did not jump straight to His wrath but sought Adam and Eve out after they had already sinned. He desired reconciliation with His creation. This was His grace on full display. Adam and Eve did not deserve this kind of love and favor from the Lord, but they received it anyways, even giving the fact that they did the opposite of anything that would earn it…

         There was grace in the curse of the fall, as God provided coverings and barred access to the Tree of Life to prevent us from living for eternity. Yet, He still provided a future hope in the promise of the seed of a woman would crush the serpent, thus providing hope for redemption (Genesis 3:15).

         Ultimately, grace has been around before any work was ever done by man alone. Since it has existed prior to the fall of man, it is the only thing that can possibly save us from experiencing God’s wrath. You see this same notion echoed in the scripture for today, where Paul was educating the Romans about Elijah. God’s grace provided seven thousand men chosen by grace.

         We too are chosen by grace. Jesus Christ chose to come to earth through the seed of a woman, live a perfect life, model how we are to live, was crucified, accepted the full wrath of God the Father, forgave us all, died, and rose again promising us the ultimate act of grace in that He gives us a part of Himself to walk with us everyday like we once did in the garden, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one of the greatest gifts of grace we will ever receive. We did nothing to receive this grace; therefore, our work will never earn us grace because grace pre-existed our existence.  

Dear Graceful Father,

         Your grace has been on display for all to see before sin even came into this world. Your wisdom and power are unmatched in this world. We cannot fathom or understand who You are that You would love us so well despite our sins. Your grace saves us from Your wrath. Thank You Jesus for Your forgiveness. Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for Your provision. Thank You for the Holy Spirit guiding us. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your eternal promises. Thank You that it is by grace we are redeemed and not works. Lord, I know I would never measure up to the standard of perfection and that my work would be wholly inadequate for your presence. Thank You for making me into who I am through Your grace. Your grace is more than sufficient for me. Thank You for this day. In Jesus’ name, amen.  

Day 114: Multiplied grace and peace

2 Peter 1:1-2 NIV

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
       
        Abundance, plethora, a lot, many, tonnage, ample, copiousness, profuse, plenitude, opulence, bountiful, multitude, slew, heap, and myriad are all synonyms. Yet, they do not capture the fullness of Peter’s greeting in this letter. The original word is Plēthunō (πληθύνω), which literally means to increase, multiply, or cause to be full. This is particularly interesting in that Peter is telling us that grace and peace are to be multiplied to us. Peter is essentially praying for a blessing of exponentially increasing grace and peace over all believers. Yet, he adds in a qualifier…

         Peter says explicitly that grace and peace would be multiplied “through the knowledge of God and or Jesus our Lord.” This is explicit in terms of not just factual knowledge in the original text. Peter is calling his readers to seek the deep, experiential, intimate knowledge of God and Jesus, (ἐπίγνωσις (epignōsis)). This kind of knowledge can only be gained through grace and peace lived out through life. Yes, death bed conversions still happen, but for those of us that have the privilege of learning about Jesus early in our lives we have significantly more to gain and grow throughout our lives in following Jesus. Our opportunities abound in ways that we can only imagine!

         Jesus has blessed me with the privilege of walking with Him for over two decades of my life. He has carried me through some of the most difficult trials a man can face. I can boast in what Jesus has done despite me constantly getting in His way. Sometimes, I feel like I am more of a hinderance to Him working in my life because I am constantly learning new things and how to apply those new things. Do I have it all figured out, absolutely not! I am nothing without Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my life. However, I can tell you that the grace and peace that Peter is praying over us all will exponentially increase in your life the closer you grow in the intimate knowledge of Jesus. In seeking Him, He will add grace and peace onto you in abundance. We all want and desire peace, yet true peace only comes through resting in grace.

Heavenly Father,

         Thank You for Your abundance of grace and peace in our lives. When we live under the shadows of You, You provide us with views of Your grandeur and beauty. Glimpses of what You can do. You have revealed Your beauty in my life more times than I can count. You have never let me down and always been present even when I felt like that was not true. You still loved me through Your grace and have offered me deep multiplying peace. It has been me rejecting that when my life gets chaotic. Thank You for Your forgiveness when I get in my own way of understanding and living in Your grace. Lord, I love you. Thank You for Your overwhelming work in my life. May I always praise You for the peace that transcends my comprehension. In Jesus’s authority I pray, amen.

Day 115: Grace is the greatest equalizer

Romans 3:23-24 NASB

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus…”

Romans 3:23-24 NLT

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”

         Sin is the great equalizer. We tend to try to compare ourselves to others. We look at others’ sins and think to ourselves, well at least I have not done that… or well I did not murder anyone… or look how humble I am compared to so-in-so. We deceive ourselves so much with comparison. This is not at all what Jesus taught. He said we were all guilty of sin, which is absolutely true. There is no one- except Jesus- that has lived and walked on this earth that did not have sin. We all will experience it at some point in our lives and subsequently struggle through it.

         Sin is the great equalizer. I know I have already said this, but it is worth repeating. Sin keeps us from ever encountering a perfect, righteous, and just God. He cannot be in the presence of sin without first granting grace. Think about the pre-fall garden grace that existed and then the post fall garden grace that abounded when Jesus was calling to Adam and Eve and they had hidden themselves. Why did they hide? They knew they had sinned against God, and they had no place to walk with Him any longer. They had to be separated from God because of His perfect state. They naturally, due to their sin nature and new knowledge of sin, hid themselves from being in the full presence of God.

         Sin is the great equalizer, but grace is the greatest equalizer… Without grace we cannot stand in the presence of God. Without grace, we will never be co-heirs with Christ. Without grace we will never experience the peace of God. Without grace we cannot be in true communion with each other. Without grace we stop functioning as a body of Christ. Without grace we are not grafted into the vine. Without grace eternity stops. Without grace… fill in the blank… We cannot exist without grace. We have been granted God’s un-merited favor for everything that we experience in this life. Without grace none of us can go before the Father presenting our requests to Him. Without grace we do not have a high priest that intercedes on our behalf… Without grace we cannot stand equally beyond the consequences of our sins…

         When we wrap our minds around this, we begin to see the beauty in everything, including the most difficult of situations, because we can see God’s perfect grace flowing through everything. Then we stand in awe and reverence for the grace that abounds and frees us from the penalty of our sins- God’s wrath… Without grace we face God’s wrath; therefore, God’s grace is the most beautiful aspect of our Creator, it is by His GRACE alone that we are redeemed, free, equally chosen by Jesus, all we have to do in return is submit to His authority and trust in His will.

Dear Grace Giving Father,

         Thank You that Your grace is the greatest equalizer. Thank You that You so lavishly pour it out before us. Thank You that it covers our sins and permits us forgiveness. Thank You that You have provided much more than we ever deserve in this life. Grace abounds in our lives because of Your steadfast faithfulness Jesus. We are nothing without You. Our very existence is predetermined by Your grace. Thank You for creating us and granting us the opportunity to pursue Your heart through Your grace. May God grant us a minute ability to comprehend how much He loves us through His grace. Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross for us. Thank You for forgiveness and grace. May we encounter Your beauty through it today, Lord. In Jesus authority covered through grace we pray. Amen. 

Day 116: Grace is incomparable to sin

Romans 5:15-17 NLT

 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:15-17 NIV

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

        The gift of grace is incomparable to the gift of sin. Whether we want to accept it or not, sin is an unfortunate gift given through Adam. Since his sin, we have dealt with the consequences of sin throughout history all the way into the daily events of our lives. Sometimes we receive gifts that we do not want. Even this notion is supported by scripture, we see this in Exodus 34:6-7 (NIV), And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”  You can still see God’s grace and provision for His people even in this scripture. It is hard for us to wrap our brains around the full implications of sin. While the sin is directly addressed with the person, the iniquity of a father’s sin has generational implications, see Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:19-20; Numbers 14:18; Acts 16:31.

         While the consequences of one man’s sin have been passed down and we are all equal participants in falling short as Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We all have the same opportunity in the consequences of grace through One man, Jesus. Jesus brought redemption to us as a consequence of His actions. I know- we consider it a reward or gift, but consequences are considered direct results of an action. The consequence of Jesus’s death was grace and justification of all that would accept Him. HOWEVER, unlike Adam’s sin, we were all not gifted the generational consequences of grace…

First off, Jesus did not have children, while we may be considered His creation, we are not generationally bound to the consequences of grace in the same way we are to sin. The next reason is that we are not granted direct access to this grace is that we have to choose to accept the gift of grace. We have the option to ignore the gift of grace as a consequence of Jesus’s actions. Which is where scriptures are clear, we have action steps that demonstrate our acceptance of the gift of grace:

Romans 3:23- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:16-17- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

1 John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 8:1- There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Now if we pull those out and compile them together this is what you get:

         It is a universal truth that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and because the wage of sin is death, we find ourselves in need of redemption. However, there is a free gift of God which is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. This serves as a testament to the fact that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but rather so that the world might be saved through Him; therefore, if we profess our belief in Jesus and confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Ultimately, for those who seek His path forward in life, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Dear Heavenly Father,

         Thank You for Your sovereign authority and power being manifest through Jesus Christ. Just as one man’s sin entered the world and we have the generational consequences of that sin, we have the opportunity to encounter the Righteousness of Jesus Christ’s actions. In choosing Jesus’s will for our lives, we live with the consequences of His actions. Grace abounds and we are granted un-merited favor from You Father. Who are we to deserve such grace? Yet, You love us beyond our comprehension, and it is our response to love You in return. Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your willingness to take on the wrath we have as a wage of our sin. Thank You for justifying us through Your actions, not our own. Lord, we know that there is nothing we can do to earn any of this grace. Thank You for the gifts You have granted us through grace. In Jesus name and gift of grace we pray. Amen.

Day 117: Slave to Grace

Romans 6:14

'Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

         Thank God for His grace! Sin is gone… or not. Jesus did not come to rid you of your sin; He came to save you from His wrath. Sin is still present and working all the time, because the law- the ten commandments (Old Testament Stuff) is still at work revealing our sin nature to us. Yesterday, we discussed the implications of generational sin at work in our lives, and it is still present even under God’s grace. It is up to us to learn how we leverage grace in our lives. Each of us will have struggles as we work out our salvation under grace.

         After stating this about grace, the Holy Spirit in Paul knew there would be people that would leverage this against the nature of grace and feel freedom to sin because grace covers all. Therefore, the very next verses are of greater instructional value than Romans 6:14.

Romans 6:15-19 NLT

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

The illustration of slavery is powerful in that we will serve something in our lives. It is ultimately up to us to choose what we will serve. Grace is the axle in which everything rotates, without grace nothing is feasible.

         Sin is dangerous. It is something we all should wrestle with in our lives. We all have it. Sometimes, we can deceive ourselves with it. It is a subtle manipulator of our flesh, and it infiltrates our minds in ways we never see coming. The only true way to combat it is through confession and accountability. We have to have people that are willing to call us upwards towards the truth of the gospel. They have to know us well enough to speak life into us by calling us out. Perfect love cast out fear. If we are to truly love our neighbors, then we are to call out truths in each other’s lives. This is one of the most difficult aspects of following Jesus Christ. We have to learn to discern the differences between a plank in our own eye and the speck in our neighbor’s…

Dear Discerning Father,

         Thank You for Your overwhelming grace and power on full display in my life. Lord, I know I would continue to be a slave to sin without Your power and Holy Spirit driving me forward in grace. I know Your grace abounds more and more. I am guilty of so many things in my life where I have become a slave to sin. I need Your help more and more to sustain me every day. Jesus You are so discerning in how You teach me and help guide me towards Your Holiness. Father, I am beyond thankful for You in all Your ways and You direct my steps when I choose to submit to Your will in my life. May I always submit to Your will for me. Help me love others today, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Day 118: Grace should lead to a sin-less life

2 Timothy 1:8-10

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,  who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

         This cannot be stressed enough in our lives; it is by grace we are saved not our work. This echoes throughout all of scriptures. Here again we see that grace pre-existed God manifesting creation and all within it. Grace is an essential component within the nature of God. It coexists with wrath, another quality and characteristic of God we have to try to grasp.

         We have to be very careful in how we walk out of grace. Sometimes people equate God’s grace with a free pass. It means to them that they can do anything they want and it is covered by God’s grace. Another common practice in the church is that we are always going to sin and there is no real point in trying to do anything about it, so thank God for His grace and just keep on keeping on. These ideas simply stand in stark contrast to what scripture teaches us. Sin should grieve our hearts because of the grace that generously covers it, consider James 4:4-10.

James 4:4-10

You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

         Now, a sinless life is not in the cards for us mortal beings. However, a sin-less life is. Throughout the working out our salvation with fear and trembling, we are not doing the work of grace, but just like Adam and Eve did in the garden, we have a work to do. Our work is to build our relationship with Jesus through prayer, careful study of His teachings, and practical applications of biblical truths in our lives.  We do this out of a reverent fear of the Lord, not fearing punishment, but out of a deep place of joy and security driven by grace. We should have this innate desire to see all those far from Jesus, desire a relationship with Him because of His grace.

Generous Heavenly Father,

         Thank You for Your sovereign power that contained grace far beyond our understanding. Knowing that You Lord, love out of grace and that grace was pre-established in You before creation is humbling. Knowing that You desire to see us grieve over our sin nature because it is hurtful to You, should help us shift our perspectives to Yours Father. You took the punishment of our sin nature upon Yourself because of grace, and we know we would be nothing before you Jesus without Your redeeming act upon the cross where You died to Yourself for us. This is a concept that goes far deeper than we can understand, but we trust in that sovereign act of faithfulness and we accept Your grace. Your grace is the most beautiful thing that saves a wretch like me. Thank You Jesus for everything, may we be seen as humble in Your sight and seek You first every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Day 119: Out of an abundance of grace we give

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NASB

Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously. Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed…

         Overflowing grace is always possible in our lives. We have access to an endless supply of grace and an opportunity to tap into that grace every day of our lives. When we can learn to operate out of this place of grace, we can find ourselves operating continuously even in a world that has found itself in burnout mode.

         Think about our culture and work mindset as you have likely heard or said these phrases: work ourselves into the grave; shop until we drop, burning a hole in your pocket, retail therapy, burning the candle at both ends, grinding it out, the rat race, worked to the bone, funning on fumes, giving %110, or beating a dead horse… All these phrases illustrate a life that is generally operates from a place that generally lacks grace. Whereas changing our mindset from working ourselves into the grave we can learn phrases like working from rest, not for rest; grace-paced growth; operating in your “sweet-spot”; unforced rhythms of grace; enough is a feast; inherited abundance; cultivating over consuming; or soul-filling not shelf-filling work.

         This scripture illustrates a promise of grace that so graciously covers us in this world. When we find ourselves operating out of a place of grace-filled giving to others, our lives radically change for the better. Everything becomes sweeter and more precious to us as what we value shifts from building our kingdoms to building the Kingdom of God. When this shift begins to happen within us, God abundantly gives us what becomes sufficient to sustain us in everything towards good deeds in God’s sight.

         This is a powerful understanding of grace in that when you receive it, learn about it, adopt it as your mindset, and subsequently operate out of grace, everything in your life shifts. You begin to see every opportunity as a blessing. The more blessings  you begin to see, the more beauty becomes revealed in everything. The more beautiful the world becomes around you in every situation, the more abundantly you see God’s miracles around you at all times. Powerful is grace, especially when we learn to operate as humans out of the abundance of grace we have received. I want to give what I have received from the Lord and treat others the way I want to be treated.

All Sufficient Father,

         Thank You for offering us grace when we did not deserve it. Your grace is exceedingly abundant in my life. I want to operate out of place of heart felt understanding in how I have received Your grace Jesus, so that I can extend grace and operate out of a foundation of grace in every situation. Lord, I know that it is from grace that I will see the beauty in life. You will reveal Yourself more and more as I become a cheerful giver. Thank You for granting me the privilege of overflowing grace. May others see You at work in my life and know You better through my submittance to Your will Jesus. I am humbled to experience this kind of grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Day 120: Grace upon grace

John 1:16-17 ESV

“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:16-17 NIV

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

         We have all received grace in place of grace already given. What a powerful word of God. We continually receive grace beyond measure. What more can we say… To meditate on grace already given, all we have to do is pursue Jesus and He grants us grace upon grace and then we will be driven to love others because of what we have received with overwhelming peace, contentment, and JOY! Rejoice! I say again REJOICE for the LORD IS GREAT!

Dear Grace Filled Father,

         Thank You for Your grace upon grace. Your name is Holy beyond our understanding. Let Your Kingdom come and will be done in our lives. Through Your grace You chose to provide a life for us, then to give us a choice to choose You Jesus. What more could we ask for in our lives. Yet, You do not stop there… Father, You grant us daily bread, Your word to read and study, and You forgive us when we fail to stand against the sin and idols we create in our lives. Lord, deliver us from this evil world into Your grace filled Kingdom. Let us forgive others and love them the way You would call us to love. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Day 121: Grace teaches us to say “No”

Titus 2:11-14 NIV

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

         All people means ALL people! Thank goodness for God’s grace being given to all people who would choose Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Notice the next verse, “it teaches us…” What is “it” referring to in this verse? Grace. God’s grace. When appropriately applied it is the best teacher because it is found all throughout God’s word.

         The most important lesson that grace has to offer to us is in our ability to say no. This has been one of the hardest lessons in my life to learn. Saying no has always felt either like a rejection, or like I was not good enough for others. It has never been about pleasing others in my life as much as it was validating my own self-worth and self-importance. If I had the ability to help, it made me feel more valued to be the helper and fixer. It plays into the cultural lies of manhood and my ability to provide for others. Not saying no was proving my own self-reliance and thus building my kingdom of importance and value. This is where God humbled me in significant ways and has revealed who He is in my life and grace has taught me to say no.

         How? Well, first off in my capacity. Upon God granting me full single parenting of two amazing daughters, I found myself without the capacity to take on many of the same roles I had once served. I had to say no. One of the hardest and first conversations I had was with my parents. I’ll never forget the day after my wife’s celebration of life and the conversation we all had while in my dining room. We all know what that conversation was, but it was me saying no. I no longer had the capacity to walk a particular road with them anymore. Even today, many years later, I still say no and just listen without saying anything in return when the topic comes up… There have been many blessings as a result of grace teaching me to say no in my life and my relationship with my parents is one of them. Everyone knows that saying no to your parents can be the hardest no to say…

         Saying no is beyond powerful, the effect of grace allows us to look at temptation and sin in a different light. It reveals the darkness of it. As we begin to understand how it functions in our life, we can see the beauty of every interaction and how grace covers everything in a new light. This generates the hope that we have in Jesus and creates within us the eagerness to do good across the entirety of our lives. Grace covers us and teaches us if we pursue an understanding of the most basic parts of it. It is un-merited favor and should drive us to pursue grace versus our own worth and value, because our value and worth are anchored in grace.

Our God and Savior Jesus Christ,

         Thank You for Your power and authority to purify us through Your grace that abounds in our lives. Thank You that Your will is being done as we learn about who You are and the grace that we do not deserve. Thank You for the absolute value You manifest in our lives when we choose to say no to this world and its temptations. Thank You for an abundance of provision going on around us every day. Thank You for aligning our lives up with Your will and letting us choose to serve Your Kingdom. Search us Lord and test us to reveal areas where we need to say no in our lives to free up space for Your grace to grow. Therefore, making us eager to pursue Your will Father. Thank You Jesus for instructing us through grace. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Day 122: Grace- God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

Acts 4:32-33

And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. '

         Have you ever seen a snowflake? The intricate fashion in which God crafts each individual part uniquely designed by the cold frosty air. They claim that no two snowflakes are the same, yet each one in unique beauty lays along mountains of chilled air, blown from one massive expanse to another. Often, they fall through large swaths of the countryside only to eventually melt thus ending their cycle as a snowflake. This continuous process likely happens all over the world trillions of times a second. Think about the infinite number of snowflakes it takes to comprise a few inches of snow and you will likely start realizing the vastness of power the Lord has over creation.

         Much like snowflakes, grace is multifaceted. Each portion of grace reflects the light differently. Each facet grants us a different view of God’s depth of love. No matter how many snowflakes you examine, they will always be unquestionably beautiful and unique representations of God’s infinite creative capacity. Yet, they are all still just snowflakes. Grace is still grace, no matter what happens. While it shifts and adjusts to each of us individually, it is still graceful. Imagine the power we have to be able to tap into each individual’s unique grace and see them for the unique creation God has given them to be through His grace.

         When we begin to see each other through the lens of grace, we can become one heart and soul together. Uniquely designed and made; yet, still covered by the same grace. We are as unique as snow. Each piece uniquely crafted for a season, yet cumulatively the same, covered by Jesus’s work on the cross bearing the wrath because of our sins. We gain access to the riches of God’s Kingdom community through Jesus’s sacrifice. The cost was Jesus bearing the wrath of God, the investment was an eternal Kingdom where we can stand in the presence of God again and praise Him for all that He is. This abundance of grace is just like the snow, covering up all who would accept Jesus’s work on their behalf.

         Next time you encounter snow. Go sit with it for a moment. Scoop up a handful gently and study the intricacies of each snowflake and think about God’s abundance of grace covering us all. You are as unique as each snowflake, yet collectively together we are meant for so much more! We have access through Jesus to the most incredible grace ever given.

Dear Graceful Father,

         Thank You for the immense power on display every time You cover the earth with snow. Each snowflake uniquely crafted to reveal the complexity of Your creative power. Just as each one of us is uniquely crafted for Your grace to be revealed to in our lives. Thank You for the work that Jesus has done and the investment He made into us for His Kingdom. May we honor His sacrifice and share the gospel with others today. May we use the illustration of a snowflake to tell others about Your abundant grace and how it covers all of us in a blanket of forgiveness and unmerited favor. Your power is unmatched in Heaven and Earth, and we submit to Your will Jesus. Amen.

Day 123: The law is not grace

Galatians 2:17-21

But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

        In the Old Testament the law was established to guide the Jewish people into a right standing with the Lord. It was designed to reveal the flaws in their character and their desperate need for a Savior. The laws given by God were impossible for the people to follow and that was known from the original issuance of the law. How do we know this, think about it for a moment, God established one (1) law in the Garden of Eden; Adam and Eve couldn’t follow it given the opportunity to choose for themselves… Therefore, God knew that 10 was impossible for anyone to follow. Yet, He gave them anyways.

         The Law was meant to reveal our need for grace and mercy. Without the Law, we would not understand our position in regard to the Lord. We would virtually have little sense of morality in our lives guiding our choices. The Law established a greater sense of community and governance for the people and allowed for societal growth on top of personal refinement. If one was to carefully consider the laws, they would find themselves wholly inadequate. It diagnoses our own internal nature of sin.

         So, in that we know that we cannot keep the Law, we choose to ignore it? No, we understand our own nature and tendencies. When we seek to leverage the Law to purify our lives we begin to realize the desperate need for unmerited favor, GRACE. Grace becomes the most meaningful aspect of God in our lives. It begins to explain all the beautiful things that surround us in our lives and we can live out of a different perspective, a Godly perspective because of grace. Without grace we would cease to co-exist with God. We would not have the Holy Spirit. Jesus would not have needed to choose death on our behalf. Grace precedes the Law as given in scripture. Grace is the ultimate driving force in our lives. If we can learn to live out of grace and see it as the ultimate act of God’s love for us, we begin to operate out of it, and not from rules or laws imposed upon our lives.

Dear Grace Abiding Father,

         Thank You for the laws You gave to reveal Your grace to all that would honestly seek You in their lives. Lord, We come before You today seeking Your will to be done in our lives. We seek to praise You for all that You have done. We desire Your grace to abound in abundance over all those we love and those we have not had the privilege of loving yet. Jesus, You knew the act of grace was what Your creation would need because You loved us enough to die for us. Let us honor Your grace and live out of it in such a way that others would see You at work in and through our lives. We know we are nothing without Your grace. Let Your amazing grace set us free from all that entangles us and help us grow in You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 124: Grace lifts the humble

James 4:4-10 NLT

You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously.

As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Prov 3:34

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. '

        For the longest time in my life I struggled to understand some of this scripture. I did not fully comprehend the last section of this scripture, “Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter and gloom instead of joy.” It confused me early in my walk as a Christ follower. Yet now, as a man that has been broken by my own sin nature, and sin’s deceitfulness, I understand this scripture more. My soul has grieved my sin. I still struggle with it. Every day is a battle against my flesh and sometimes my mind.

         One of the greatest areas of struggle in my life as a man is that I am enough. Men put on strength and confidence daily. We compartmentalize, we shift our emotions, we make excuses, we become passive, we do all kinds of things in our lives that end up making us strive and seek approval from others, when simply put, we do not always feel like we are enough… but this is true for everyone. None of us are enough. We were designed to not be enough without Jesus.

         This scripture enlightens us to the piece we all need to become enough. It says, “That God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously.” God has granted us access to Him through the piece of Him He has given to us through grace, The Holy Spirit… Then James reminds us how to access the Holy Spirit power within ourselves. It is accessed through humility.

         We must resist compartmentalizing, shifting our emotions, making excuses, replace passivity with leading courageously, learn how to just be, thrive, and seek the Lord’s approval through the transformation of our minds. Yet, none of this is possible without first receiving the grace that is so abundant in our lives through Jesus. Our sole focus must be on Jesus, and we must allow Him to guide our steps. Coming to Him early every morning, acknowledging you cannot do it without Him allows you to anchor yourself in Jesus Christ’s integrity. Seek him in a humble posture and He will reveal His grace to you. Reject the world and accept Jesus for who He is. These steps will begin to reveal God’s beauty to you in all things!

Dear Humble Father,

         Thank You that You led with the humility You desire to see in us. Jesus, You knew that equality with God was not possible, yet You were God. This teaches us that each aspect of who You are is beyond powerful and it is Your will we must seek. You humbled Yourself coming to earth in the form of a baby, then to grow and die for all of our sin debt. You accepted Your wrath over our choices and took the brunt of all punishment. You then cover us with Your abundant grace and mercy. Jesus, who are we but dust and ash in Your hands? Form us to use us in the ways You best see fit. Let us remember our place and know that while You love us and cover us with Your grace, we are still a lump of clay and filthy rags before Your presence without the majestic grace granted to us by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for us. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Day 125: Grace in the flesh

John 1:14 NASB

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

         Jesus is the word manifest in physical form. He pre-existed creation and the linear fashion in which we exist in it. Jesus is eternal yet was born as a man through miraculous means. The eternal mindset we are to adopt as temporal beings is one of the most difficult aspects of our lives. We were not designed to see things using an eternal lens. We are good at living in the past and working in the present all while hoping for the future, but we often do not process much beyond that with any clarity on the subject.

         When Jesus came to this earth, He was full of the same grace from the moment He created us, came to us in unmerited favor and truth trying to liberate us from the consequences of our fleshly sin nature. He worked to walk where we walk and experience many of the same things we all experience and model His expectations for us to see.

         I get it, that was 2000 years ago and so much has changed… while the pace of life may seem quicker, and news spreads faster, the realities in which we all walk are still very much a universal human experience. We all have relationship drama, health related issues, bills to pay, life to live, and mistakes to make. The bible clearly outlines so many things that have been around since the beginning of the fall of man. As humans, while we have creative ability, we are still limited in our capacity to create and establish much apart from total reliance on someone or something else. Whereas God is completely self-sufficient and does not rely on anything to be able to do or create, as He has an infinite capacity for creativity. All of this is to God’s glory.

         The scripture above goes on to say we have all fully received the opportunity realized through Jesus Christ’s outpouring of grace upon grace: “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” -John 1:16-17. We have already received grace just in existing, but now, we have grace upon that grace in that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has come to liberate us from the chains that have restrained us from true relationship with God. Grace in unmerited favor become flesh and then died for us…

Dear Graceful Jesus,

         Thank You for Your provision of additional grace in our lives. You are King and maintain a kindness about You that screams out glory and grace to every aspect of our lives. Lord, You are beyond all that we could possibly contemplate and we seek You in our lives. We know that equality with You is impossible on our own merit and favor, for we are nothing before You. Yet, in Your authority and power, You provide for us opportunities to come forth to Your table and dine with You at a table prepared by grace. Lord, who are we but Your envoys in this world. Let us share You and Your grace with someone else today Lord. Let Your light and truth shine through out lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Day 126: Jesus was born in grace

Luke 2:40 (NIV)

“And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.”

         We do not have a ton of information about Jesus in His childhood. This verse comes after Joseph and Mary had taken Jesus to perform all the customs and rituals in the Jewish culture. It is engaging to think of the details of this verse. Let’s break it down some:

The child grew and became strong.

He was filled with wisdom.

The GRACE of God was on Him.

Are these not the same things we wish upon our children? We want them to grow and become strong, filled with the intelligence to make great choices, and we should desire God’s unmerited favor to rest upon them. Other than being God Himself, Jesus had parents that were faithful and true to their callings in life. Mary and Joseph were morally upright and good people. They followed the guidance they received from the angels and brought forth Jesus.

         The next story about Jesus in Luke is when He stayed behind after Passover, again faithful practice of Jesus’ earthly parents, and He was preaching in His Father’s house. It ends that section with another verse like the one above. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” - Luke 2:52 NIV. Notice that Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor, but this time it adds favor with man. His reputation was growing.

         Have you ever wondered how Jesus truly led a perfect life? I have! These verses help us understand how Jesus was born in God’s favor without sin. How? He was born through the conception of the Holy Spirit through Mary. There was not a sexual act performed between Mary and Joseph for conception. Therefore, Jesus was not born into sin. Likely, He was most like the original intention on a genetic level that God created, perfect. Which would speak into the strength, stature, and Jesus’ mind being sharp. Nothing was impeding the growth and development of Jesus. This does not mean He did not face sin or temptation; He was just better equipped to deal with it than we are, because we have a pre-disposition to sin nature hard wired into our flesh, whereas Jesus was Holy created different. However, regardless of all these factors, He was God, AND He had grace covering Him already.

         This is the beauty and power of grace. Jesus operated His entire life out of grace. From beginning to end, Jesus lived, breathed, and was crucified, full of grace. It was when His death came upon Him that God removed the un-merited favor from Jesus and poured out all His justice and wrath upon Jesus. Yet, grace was not removed from Jesus, it was shed off Him in the form of His blood. His sacrifice of grace that subsequently covers us when we choose to accept Jesus as Lord of our lives.

Dear Grace-giving Father,

         Thank You for everything You have given us. Thank You for Your grace and examples of living for a Kingdom greater than anything we could build. I seek Your forgiveness for times in my life where I have chosen to operate out of my own merit and favor. Lord, thank You for the forgiveness You grant me every time I fail to live up to the standard the law established. I will always fall short on my own, but with Your grace and learning to live out of a place of grace I know You are with me and guiding my steps. Jesus, help me walk in Your grace and grant others unmerited favor where applicable. Thank You for allowing us to walk in Your will Jesus. Amen.

Day 127: Life without cost because of grace

Revelation 22:17-21

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, take the water of life without cost. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.'

        Grace is free, so is access to the water of life. All of this is true because of the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. This is truth. This is light. This is grace. This is free for you and me, but it came at a cost. Jesus accepted the full wrath of God to cover the wages of sin. All we have to do is realize that everyday we are covered by grace because of Jesus, acknowledge Him, be saturated with gratitude, and praise Jesus with our lives proclaiming His Gospel to all that we meet. If we can surrender to these things, life becomes overwhelmingly beautiful.

         This is one of the greatest keys to living a 359˚ of beauty life. You must glimpse and then frame life with the understanding that grace existed before us and that it is through grace that we are all here to face the choice of Jesus Christ. Once we choose Jesus as our Lord we live with that choice and we no longer have to count the cost, but we consider the investment in God’s Kingdom as a Holy and righteous cause to live for because it takes us beyond ourselves.

         This scripture is a test to what this devotional series is. As a writer and man, I have been humbled by Jesus in this life and experienced a lot of different situations that have led me to understanding 359˚ of beauty. As a communicator and teacher, I want to share these with others because of how much it has helped me accept the grace that covers me. I never want to add to the Words of God because God’s wrath is swift. I also do not want to take away from these words because of the warnings here. God’s word stands for itself. Grace stands for itself. If you can glimpse a little of the promises that God has done through His word in seeking His beauty, if just one person finds Jesus and makes Him Lord over their lives, then all of this has been worth it. Jesus is overwhelmingly worth the investment into your quiet time.

         Grace was present in the beginning when God decided to create, and now it is present at the end of the book of Revelation. The final mention above all things is that the GRACE of Lord JESUS would be with ALL of us. Even those not in Christ have access to His grace because they are alive, but are they are not covered with the grace that saves them and permits them access to the creator for all eternity until they find Jesus and make Him the Lord of their lives by accepting His free water of life.

Dear Life-Giving Father,

         Thank You for Your incredible testimony of grace. Lord, please be quick about Your coming because we desire to walk with You in such tangibly physical ways to see all that You are in the fullness we are allowed to experience. You have given us so much, so freely, and we are beyond thankful for all of it. We are humbled that You would use us and provide for us so that others would see you at work through our lives. Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross so that we would have the gift of grace so freely. Come, Lord Jesus. Allow Your grace to be with us all. Amen.

Day 128: Salvation through Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. '

Titus 3:5-8 NASB

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This statement is trustworthy; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people. '

         We cannot forget that grace does not originate in the human heart. It existed prior to creation and has always been a part of the plan from a sovereign God. Grace was not an afterthought and as a result salvation was also not an afterthought. God knew grace and salvation would have to be offered to temporal beings such as ourselves. He knew that we would not understand the concept of eternity and would mess things up in our limited capacity to understand, but freedom to choose.

         Think of it like this, you can tell a kid that the stove is hot, do not touch it. You can teach and explain to a child that a stove is hot. You can show pictures of burnt hands, teach them all the knowledge of a stove being hot and they may even look like they understand, but at some point, in that child’s future, out of curiosity, they will test to see if the stove really gets hot for themselves. You probably did something similar in your life, just maybe not with a stove.

         Your parents would have instructed you not to do something, but you found yourself doing it anyways. As parents, we know that our kids are going to push the boundaries. Is God, the Creator of everything any different? Great parents know these truths and are there to help the kid learn after the limits have been pushed and to keep the kids safe. God’s grace is very much the same. He knew we would push the limits, and he planned for it. Then for those of us that need more explanation, He ensured grace pre-existed all of creation and was a part of our salvation plan prior to our existence, so that we would recognize the supreme nature and power of God’s grace and love.

         Salvation has always been through grace. God’s unmerited favor. That Jesus would love us so much and desire relationships with all of us in such a way that we would love Him back. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Dear Creator of Grace,

         Thank You for grace that saves us. It is not by our work, but yours alone that we are saved. Just like kids that have to touch the stove Lord, You save us knowing we are going to mess up. You knew that we would need Your abundant grace in our lives because our works are what land us in this place asking You for the guidance we need to thrive. Jesus, we are in debt to You, but Your word then goes on to teach us that we are heirs in accordance to the hope of eternal life that You have promised. Father, help us live out our faith in such a way that we are not boastful, but that we would engage in good deeds and all things that are good for all people. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Day 129: Sufficiency through Grace

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NASB

Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

         Have you ever been cold and someone gave you a blanket, but the blanket was more of a throw, and it was super small? You know, the kind where you try to get under it for warmth, but it is just inadequate. So, you adjust, pull your legs up and snuggle tighter, but it just makes you more uncomfortable. Yet, you are cold, so you really want a warm blanket to wrap yourself in. God’s grace is nothing like that tiny blanket…

Grace is sufficient. What does the word sufficient actually mean though? According to all modern resources it means enough or adequate. Yet, this definition when we wrestle with this verse can seem insufficient. Jesus’s grace is more than sufficient for us, it suffices us, it fully covers us. We originally looked at this verse on day 80 and 81 through refinement. Yet, it comes up again now with grace. Grace is the overwhelming sufficiency we all need.

         Grace is the root in which everything grows in our lives. We will have constant struggles as we develop and grow. Our weaknesses will shine and our strengths will become our downfall. It is a delicate balance navigating the lives we are to live in the light of God’s grace. We can fall into the performance traps, run from our callings, make the wrong choices, make the right choices, make choices that seem indifferent, idolize false teaching, even become our own hermits, but none of these things will stop grace. Nothing can stop the power of grace when we subject ourselves in submission to Jesus’s will for our lives.

         A treasured relationship in my life taught me that I was striving for approval and seeking to be understood by others. They showed me that I was not living in this verse as I was seeking to be “relevant” and on mission for the purpose of the gospel. Through their trust, I began to realize better how to just be and that I did not have to strive as much as I was, that I had to just trust in the power of grace. I am thankful for them, because they helped me internalize the lesson that Paul was trying to share with all of us now. God’s GRACE is what IS sufficient, enough, adequate, to supply all that we need in Jesus. We will struggle, we will strive, regardless, grace will still cover us, and it is more than enough to guide us into God’s will for our lives. God’s grace is nothing like a blanket too small…

Dear Grace Sufficing Father,

         Thank You for Your grace that is more than enough to cover us in all things. It helps with our weaknesses and with our strengths. We are nothing without Your grace. You through Your grace, grant us peace, and unmistakable peace. This peace can bring about change in our lives in ways that we cannot even imagine. Thank You Jesus for Your grace and peace. It is more than enough to meet all of our needs today. Let us be found in Your will thriving through Your grace today. Thank You Jesus, amen.

Day 130: Favor through grace

Hebrews 4:14-16 NASB

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.

         We have it good! Jesus, our high priest who has done more than we can fathom, fully God, has walked where we have walked. He has faced battles that we cannot even imagine on our behalf. He has conquered life in the most Holy sense, and He truly understands our weaknesses, because He crafted us with them for His glory. Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith. He is the security we all hope for in our lives. He is everything!

         Now, knowing all of this, even Jesus Himself knew certain truths:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. - Philippians 2:5-8 NASB

With a high priest that believes in a level of humility that He Himself was God could not walk equally with God, how can we possibly come to the throne of grace with confidence? It seems like confidence is impossible for us to lay ahold of, but is it? NO. It is about what our confidence is in when we approach God!

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. - Hebrews 10:19-25 NASB

Our confidence is in our hope because of grace and mercy! This is the importance of the sincerity of our approach to the throne of grace. It is what we are about in our hearts, the core of who we are.

         Learning to approach God with the humility of our own spirit, a keen awareness of our position being that of dust and ash, as we make request of the Lord in thanksgiving for what we have and what Jesus does on our behalf, is the key to approaching the throne of grace with confidence. Jesus desires for us to seek His help in our times of need.

         I have been putting this to practice in the littlest of ways the past year. Many times, with the littlest mundane things, I have stopped and asked God for help. One time, we were on a mountain path in Rocky Mountain National Park and my father had put his hearing aids in his pocket because of the windy conditions. When he went to grab his gloves out of his pocket, he inadvertently dropped his hearing aid on the ground. It was the same color as the path… We were searching for it to no avail. I stopped and prayed that Jesus would direct our steps and lead us to it. Within the next two minutes, traversing about thirty yards, we found it. It was an honest request and a direct result.

         Jesus cares. He wants to love you well, but He wants a relationship with you where you and Him talk things out. He wants you to approach Him with gratitude and confidence that He CAN and He Will act in accordance with His will for Your life. He wants a deep lasting relationship with you in which you can faithfully rely on Him as He provides for your needs in this life. Trust in Him with confidence!

Dear Faithful Father,

         Thank You for the throne of grace and mercy. Lord, it is humbling to know You have gone through so much to demonstrate your profound love for us. We are thankful to know You and to call You our Father. We are but dust and ash that You crafted for purposes beyond our knowledge. Fill up this cracked and broken vessel Lord Jesus with Your will and intentions. Let us come to You knowing through faith You will provide one way or another and that even death is gain when seeking You earnestly. Lord, we are humbled to be used in Your Kingdom to reach others, and we submit to Your guidance and leadership. Thank You Jesus, Amen.

Day 131: Transformation through grace

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NASB

For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

         Grace is transformative. I would go as far to say it is the only true thing that will change us at our core to become a people that see God’s beauty in all things. Grace is the essence of beauty. Unmerited favor from the Lord Jesus Christ if we seek Him with our whole heart. Paul knew this about himself. In this scripture Paul states his own sin, limitations, and frailty. He is fully acknowledging the power of grace in his life. It is what transformed him into the man he became.

         Grace is the power within my heart driving all of these devotions. Yes, I want people to walk away with a new perspective on their lives in seeing God’s beauty, but truthfully, I want you to understand that God loves you, despite your circumstances. God’s grace is right in front of you, just reach out and embrace it. I know in my life it has become significantly more beautiful when I choose to see God’s sovereign grace in abundance. It has transformed me over significant portions of time to see the peace that comes with seeking and embracing Jesus Christ’s callings in our lives.

         God’s grace has allowed me to meet some of the most wonderful people in my life that have come and gone through various seasons that have taught me such sweet lessons about grace. God’s grace has taken me to places that have diminished my ego while simultaneously gave me an overwhelming sense of the love God has for us. God’s grace has granted me favor to lead others into deeper lasting relationships with their spouses and used me to lead men into authentic manhood. God’s grace allowed me to present His daughter back to Him. God’s grace has granted me guidance when I have been clueless on how to raise my daughters without a mother. God’s grace has granted me the ability to teach children every day of my life. God’s grace is the source of everything in my life I hold of significant value. Without God’s grace I am NOTHING.

         My life is beautiful because of God’s grace and it is His grace that has truly transformed me into His instrument. 359˚ of beauty is Jesus’s work, it has always been His work, it will always be His work, and 359˚ of beauty in your life will always be Jesus’s grace applied in your life, just like it has been in mine. Without Jesus’s grace we are nothing… nothing but a lump of dust and ash… but by grace we are formed into vessels of God’s will when we allow ourselves to grow under grace.

Dear Grace Granting Father,

         Thank You for Your grace and abundant mercy that overflows in our lives. We are nothing without Your sovereign power being displayed through Your grace Jesus. Lord, there is nothing apart from You that we can accomplish and Your grace is the driving force of all growth. Grace is Your plow with which You break us down to plant seeds of faith within us. We are nothing apart from Your grace. I know this is true in my life Lord and I am praying for Your grace over all that would read these devotions. May they see You Jesus and Your beautiful grace around them everywhere transforming their lives. In Jesus authority and grace, amen.