Overwhelmed by Grace

So my resolutions to blog more have epically failed...but life is so good right now because God is always so good!
I am on Christmas break after a wonderful semester at school. I have been learning so much through my classes, through music ensembles, through my relationships with my family, friends, and Garth (which by the way, our 4 month anniversary is today!). I miss writing...and keep determining to do it more, but it doesn't happen very often.
Lately, I have been learning about my need for grace. I fail so often. I fail to treat others like Christ would. I fail to be completely honest in my relationships with those I love. I fail to do my best when I don't feel like it. I fail to set my mind on things above.
But the grace of God is EXCEEDINGLY abundant! It is only because of God's grace that I am His child and I am daily in need of His grace to live for Him!
This is such an encouragement because it is not up to me. I don't need to feel pressure to succeed and be the best. I don't need to be utterly crushed when I fail. When I fall, grace is there. When I sin, grace is there.
This same grace that is daily bestowed on me, I need to bestow to others. When they fail, I must show them grace. When they sin, I must show them grace.
There are so many ways in my life right now that God is showing me this concept of grace. My heart is overflowing with the magnitude of it all!
As preparation for Christmas sweeps us up into a whirlwind,  I am taking a deep breath and letting His grace overwhelm me. Because His grace is so evident in the Incarnation. Because His grace is so evident in the cross. Because the need for His grace is so evident every day of my life.

2 Corinthians 8:9 
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich."

2 Corinthians 9:8 
"And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work."

2 Corinthians 4:15 
Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to increase to God’s glory.

Ephesians 2:4-10
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,
made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,
so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through ⌊His⌋ kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
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.
For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them."

what grace is mine!

My dear Daddy shared this with me the other day:

What grace is mine, that He who dwells in endless light
Called through the night to find my distant soul
and from His scars poured mercy that would plead for me
that I might live and in His name be known.


So I will go wherever He is calling me
I lose my life to find my life in Him
I give my all to gain the hope that never dies
I bow my heart, take up my cross, and follow Him


What grace is mine to know His breath alive in me
Beneath His wings my wakened soul may soar
All fear can flee for death's dark night is overcome
My Savior lives and reigns forevermore! 

In time of need...

In Hebrews 3 and 4, the author challenges us to persevere and not be disobedient like the "faithless Exodus generation." The reason is because "there is still a rest for the people of God."

A rest. Big sigh of relief! Don't we all need a rest? We all need to be able to cease striving and know that our God is God! 

This rest is both here and now, and eternal. It is a peace, no matter what chaos is going on around us. It is a trust, because we know the One Who is Sovereign over the affairs of men.

Isn't that wonderful that we don't have to keep going and going on our own strength like the world around us? Their motto seems to be "Go until you drop!"

Continuing on in Hebrews 4, verse 11: "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience [the Israelites in the exodus]. For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

So we are to be faithful, and persevere, unlike the Israelites who grumbled and complained at the first sight of trouble. And not only that, but the Word of God is illumining our hidden intentions and motives. We are completely bare before our God, who sees and knows everything about us. We can't lie to Him and pretend that we are 'okay.' He sees everything, and He is our Judge.

That is a formidable image! The One Who knows EVERY LITTLE THING about me, is the One who will judge my life. I have no chance! He sees the times that it looked like I was persevering, but inside was complaining. He sees the times that it looked like I was being faithful, but was doubting His Word.

But the verses go on..."Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need!"

Instead of us approaching expecting condemnation from the One who knows we deserve it, we have a great High Priest Who is seated at the right hand of God. He can empathize with our struggles, for He was tempted to sin just as we are, except that He never caved in.  He does not sit far above looking down on us...He came down to us! Became one of us!

And He is the One who speaks for us to the Father. 

Let us therefore come boldly! Let us draw near with confidence! Not only do we not have to fear condemnation, we can receive HELP.  "That we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need." 

This goes back to the beginning: we need help! We need rest!

But we are not alone in this. We have a great High Priest, who is interceding for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered.

"Let us therefore be dilligent"

"Let us hold fast"

"Let us come boldly"

"..that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need." 

"For He who promises is Faithful!"

Living by Grace

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10
Life is so NOT ABOUT US! It is by grace (God's unmerited favor) that we are not slaves of sin any longer or bound for an eternity in hell! So often, once we have been saved a while, we stop living by grace. We think we can just do whatever we want, for our own pleasure. We think we can sanctify ourselves. We act as though, "having began in the spirit, we are now being made perfect in the flesh."
Every day is an act of grace. God gives us the grace to breathe. To think. To worship. To praise. To respond with love. To show mercy. To glorify Him despite our sinfulness.
His grace is sufficient.
His mercies are new every morning.
His faithfulness is great.
He will never fail us.
Living by grace is complete dependance on Him to do the things that He destined for me before the creation of the world. I could never do good works on my own; I am incapable of doing or thinking anything good.
BUT BY HIS GRACE I can point others to His goodness and saving grace that changes everything about my life!