May I Be A Gift Of His Grace

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

—Matthew 9:13

 

Jesus had just been asked by the Pharisees why he was eating with tax collectors and sinners. He told them that it was because healthy people don’t need a doctor; sick people do. And then Jesus told them to learn the meaning of this Scripture: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” 

 

God’s Word is for us. We also are to show love and mercy. This scripture is initially found in Hosea 6:6. Hosea demonstrated love and mercy toward his wife, Gomer, who was a prostitute. God demonstrates His love for us that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. The love of God is what Jesus explained to the Pharisees. He did not come to call the righteous, but those who are sinners. The righteous have already received mercy. But the sinner hasn’t. 

Dying for us was not a sacrifice to Jesus. To Him, it was an offering of mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and unconditional love. He never gave Himself for recognition. He gave us unearned and undeserving grace. When someone regards what they do for someone else as a sacrifice, they have revealed that their concern is about themselves. When we seek to show others that we have sacrificed, we seek recognition. And that is pride. Jesus’ gift of His life was never about Him. It was all about us. 

 

Do we have the same attitude as Christ? Do we love and shower grace on believers and unbelievers alike, or do we withhold mercy? 

Mercy says: "I forgive and care for you because Jesus loves you unconditionally." Sacrifice says:”I forgive and care for you because it is required." 

Loving should always be a gift—never a requirement. If keeping the law makes us righteous, then Jesus’ gift of His life was in vain (Galatians 2:21). It is a sacrifice to do something for someone when it is required. It is mercy when it freely flows from unconditional love.

 

“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,” Paul writes, “but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (I Corinthians 13:3-7, NLT).

 

This is God’s love for us. It is pure grace. It is kind and patient. His love always rejoices with the truth. It always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.

 

“In your relationships with one another,” Paul writes, “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-8, NLT).

 

“Show mercy,” Jesus said. “Don’t offer sacrifice.” 

 

Sacrifice places the focus on us, and that is prideful. Mercy is full of humility. It places our focus on Jesus. Humility does not focus on “self” and what it achieves. It surrenders to Christ’s grace on Calvary. It places the well-being of others ahead of its own.

When we understand that humility doesn’t exalt itself and doesn’t have to earn what has already been earned in Christ, we receive more grace to empower our lives.

 

“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).

God gives more grace when we choose to have an attitude toward others like Christ had toward us. 

May I always be a good steward of His manifold grace. May His love just overflow in me. May my gift never be a sacrifice but an offering of His mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and love. Each day may I be a gift of His grace. 

Is This My Confidence?

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

—1 John 5:14–15

 

 

This is a powerful promise! However, many Christians don’t have this confidence in God. The reason they don’t ask God for help is because they aren’t confident that they will receive what they have asked of Him. 

 

This promise in 1 John 5:14–15 makes it clear that we must ask for God’s help according to His will. How do we know what God’s will is? God’s Word is His will. If we know what the Word says about what we are praying for, we don’t have to add “if it is your will” to the prayer and wonder if it is going to happen. When we know God's will and are praying in agreement with His Word, we can be confident that God has heard us and that we shall receive what His Word promises.

 

These verses in 1 John 5:14–15 indicate God hears us when we pray according to His will. This certainly doesn’t mean that the Lord doesn’t know what we pray or only hears certain prayers we pray. He hears every word that every person speaks (Matthew 12:36). But these verses in 1 John 5 are speaking of God hearing us and granting our requests. The Lord never answers prayers that do not line up with His will. 

 

In the New Testament, God has already provided everything we could ever need through the atonement of His Beloved Son, Jesus. The prayer of faith is our positive response to what Jesus has accomplished through His finished work. The prayer of faith only appropriates what the precious blood of Jesus has given us through grace.

 

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24).

 

The word “therefore” in Mark 11:24 indicates the message that follows is important. Jesus says that for us to have what we ask for in prayer, we have to believe we receive it. 

 

When you know what you request in prayer agrees with the Word, you can believe your answer has been provided by God. You believe that it will come to pass. This answer could be in an instant, but the word “will” in this verse signifies future tense.

 

The Lord answers our prayers that meet the prerequisites of His Word, but He moves in the spiritual realm. His actions are not always immediately evident to our physical eyes. We have to believe by faith that He is answering our prayers before we see any physical proof. If we cannot believe until we physically see something, then we have doubt. Doubt prevents us from receiving what we have requested in line with God’s will (James 1:5–7). But when what we ask of the Lord agrees with His Word, all the proof we need is our faith. It is the evidence of what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1).

“Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away’” (Mark 11:20).

Just as the fig tree remained the same after Jesus cursed it (Mark 11:12–14), we often see ourselves or our situations remaining the same. The unseen roots of the fig tree dried up the moment Jesus spoke, but the evidence only appeared later. What we ask God for in prayer can take time. By placing our faith in the Word and the absolute truths the priceless blood of Jesus purchased for us, we can believe that when we ask according to God’s will, we know He hears us and that we have the petitions we have asked of Him. 

Is this the confidence I have in Him?

 

Discovery

Yesterday morning, when I opened my photo app on my MacBook, a photo that I hadn’t seen since I’d first taken it in 2018 appeared. It was of a contract signed by my father on January 29, 1949 to purchase a little white house on Rope Mill Road in Woodstock, Georgia. I was seven months old at the time. 

A few hours later, I discovered something else totally unexpected. Ten years ago, when dementia was claiming my father’s incredible mind, I wrote devotions to get through that difficult time. In 2020, I compiled some of them into a book. Yesterday, I discovered one devotional that I don’t even remember writing. I looked through my book to be sure I hadn’t included it. I couldn’t find it. On the cover of my book, “Walking to Daddy,” is a photo of me toddling toward my father; he's reaching out to me with open arms. This photo was taken behind that little white house on Rope Mill Road.

So today, I feel led to share this devotional. Perhaps you’re experiencing something similar or going through a hardship that’s overwhelming. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Don't lean into your own understanding. Lean into His. He's faithful.

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“So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure” (Psalm 32:11, NLT)!

I celebrate Jesus! I rejoice in His faithfulness no matter my storm—no matter my hurting heart. He tells me that I am to be glad. This means that I am joyfully willing, prepared, and eager to follow His leading. In my obedience, I have His blessed assurance He is guiding me. He will not forsake me.

Each day is hard, and the days stretch into the future with a sadness of loss that comes from seeing my father gradually lose himself. But right now, God’s purpose for me is to walk this road—to love Him as He first loved me—to gain understanding from His perspective—to glean His wisdom in the midst of pain, and to take great joy in the smallest blessings. 

I draw closer to my father in the moments that are quickly waning. I draw closer to the Lord because that is the only way I can walk this path. There is a tenderness of heart that only He can mold in me. There is a joy that He alone is able to perfect. If I faithfully walk this path, I receive His promise of abundance. My life is full of Him. In my weakness, I know His overwhelming strength. 

There is no greater peace than knowing He has given Himself to my need—that He has taken this burden and imparted His power. He is alive in me in depths that I would have never known if I had refused. Faithful is He to do in me what He has asked of me. This journey purifies my heart. I rejoice in Him! His purpose is my greatest promise!  

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Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

James 4:8

Free Indeed

When you have lived through a hurt, your natural instinct is to either move on and try to forget it or to harbor it until it ultimately defines your life. God’s instinct is higher than yours. He doesn’t want you to isolate yourself in your pain. He wants to use what you have experienced, not only to heal you, but also for the benefit of others. God wants your willingness to open your life to Him and to those He chooses. You can discover healing from your pain, and He can use you to help others discover healing from theirs. 

Being open is a hard place to be. You might want to build a wall to protect yourself. But building a wall doesn't protect you. It imprisons your mind and heart. It imprisons healing of not only your wounds but those of others. Your wall turns your heart into a heart of stone because, in closing yourself off, you are unable to hear the Holy Spirit.

However, when you allow that wall of false protection to tumble down, the Lord turns your pain into victory, not only for yourself, but also for others. 

“I'll give you a new heart,” the Lord promises, “and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

A heart that yields without hesitation to the Holy Spirit is a heart that is malleable, vulnerable, and not afraid of what must be faced in order to receive healing. It's a heart that is ready to face the hurt of the past or the present head on and allow the Holy Spirit to do whatever is necessary. Willing to deal with whatever must be dealt with, this heart trusts that the Lord who has exposed the pain is capable of healing all that has caused it.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit,” Paul imparts, “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). 

The Holy Spirit liberates you from pain, fear, and the power of feelings to manipulate. He heals the wounds that have imprisoned you. But you must reject the enemy who wants to keep you, bound and chained, in darkness, and, instead, open yourself to the healing work of the Holy Spirit. You must be willing to cooperate with Him. 

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

This is His work. Not yours. Your work is your willingness to deal with the pain. He is your protector. You no longer need to protect yourself. He will protect you and provide all that you need. You choose to lower your wall and open yourself to His Word. You choose to receive His truth that sets you free.

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Welcome Jesus into your pain. Welcome the Word. Open your mind and your heart to the Holy Spirit. Jesus is your healer. He never fails you. He wants you free. He effectively works in you when you believe Him.

Is it time, my friend?

“Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

The Unity Of God's Love

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

—John 13:35

 

Jesus told His disciples that His love would distinguish them from the rest of the world. Our holy living, religiousness, or condemnation of sin doesn't reveal to the world that we are faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Our love for each other causes the world to take notice, while a lack of love for each other keeps the world from knowing Jesus. 

 

Members of the body of Christ who place the utmost importance on outward appearance or continually look for fault in others are some of the most judgmental believers. Jesus Christ had no condemnation (Romans 8:1), and His perfect love doesn’t condemn (I John 4:18). Condemnation is the opposite of the love Jesus spoke of to His disciples. 

 

Jesus didn’t say everyone would know we are His disciples by our doctrine, rituals, hatred for sin, or even by how we express our love for God. He said very clearly that the one trait that would cause the world to identify us as His followers was our love for one another. In the Upper Room, Jesus prayed to His Father: “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:21). 

The only way that the body of Christ will be one, as the Father and Jesus are one, is through God’s kind of love. 

 

The unity of believers, which only comes through a genuine God-kind of love, is the greatest means of evangelism the church has ever known. We should not be shocked that Satan has pitted Christians against each other. This is why the body of Christ is not united in love. 

 

The early church didn’t have the media, money, and massive programs for evangelism we have today, or the ability to travel around the globe. Yet, the unbelievers in Thessalonica had something to say about Paul and those who ministered with him: “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (Acts 17:6). The early church evangelized the known world in less than thirty years. Before we can ever fulfill the Great Commission, there must be an awakening of God’s love in the body of Christ, where our relationship with Jesus defines us instead of religion, tradition, and offense. 

 

God’s love tolerates trying situations and persons, enduring far beyond the norm. His love is patient, generous, unselfish, and good, showing sympathy and understanding for others. It’s considerate and desires only to promote the welfare of others. God’s love is benevolent, revealing itself in actions of kindness. God’s love isn’t jealous or resentful of the good fortune of others. His love isn’t vain, self-righteous, or proud. It isn’t dishonest, nor does it violate what is right. God’s love doesn’t demand its own way. It’s forgiving and not easily upset. His love doesn’t judge another’s hardship. God’s love rejoices when sincerity and truth prevail. His love makes it possible to withstand all stress and difficulty. God’s love protects and holds off anything that threatens the benefit and welfare of another. God’s love believes the best of everyone without criticizing or looking for fault. His love persists and hopes against all odds in expecting the best in others. God’s love causes one to push through despite any difficulty. His love never proves inadequate or fruitless. It will never disappoint, prove unreliable, or fail. His love endures forever.

—1 Corinthians 13:4–8

 

“Make God’s love your greatest aim and pursuit,” Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 14:1).

 

Is this the love you aim for and pursue despite your feelings and every attempt of the enemy? Does the world recognize you as a Christian because of your love for your brother or sister in Christ? The world will know we are Christians by our love.

Paul wrote: “Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:1–3).

When we love each other as Christ has loved us, nothing stands against our unity. The only thing that can stop Jesus’ love in us is our selfishness and pride. His love, which was freely and unselfishly given to us, changes hearts when it is freely and unselfishly given. The unity of God’s love cannot be overcome. His love changes us and the world.

 

The Holy Spirit is awaking the church to this unity. We will either love each other and the world will know Him, or we will give the enemy permission to divide and conquer. Right now, Jesus is praying for His faithful followers: “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21).

 

This awakening begins in you and me.