We've heard a lot about grace lately. It's been a big buzz for some time, in fact. But when YOU think of grace, what comes to mind??
THE WAY I VIEW GRACE is by looking back at my childhood. When I was a little girl I used to like to stand on top of an old rusty oil barrel in my daddy's back yard and balance on it. But the most fun was to walk on top of it and make it roll. My friend Cookie and I had a ton of fun practicing our barrel walking lol. But guess what?! What we thought was just fun, became off limits one day. My stepmom found out what we were doing and told us we had to stop. She was concerned we would get hurt. Of course being children, we knew nothing about those kind of possibilities. I was usually pretty obedient. But that rule seemed senseless to us and therefore, too tempting not to break. So we did. Cookie would lay on the grass looking under the house to keep a look out for "Ms Agnes", while I rolled to my heart's content. And then I would take my turn being the scout while Cookie had her turn at being disobedient. We knew what we were doing was wrong but Oh what fun! It was worth the risk! Until we were busted. Somehow, Cookie lost her guard and my stepmom got out of the house without her noticing, and caught us!!! The disappointment on my stepmom's face was more crushing to me than my sin. All of a sudden, I became repentant! Repentance doesn't mean "I'm sorry I got caught". Repentance means a complete change of thinking that results in changed behaviour! I never walked that barrel again. No one had to make me. It was internal. That love, not fear, kept me from committing that particular sin again. I don't remember being punished for that disobedience that day--but I surely deserved it and even EXPECTED it (namely kneeling on rice, because that was how us children were disciplined in south Louisiana in those days). Her disappointment in me was enough. She showed me grace I didn't deserve. Her grace didn't become an excuse for me to disobey again. Her grace kept me from the desire to do it again. In the same way, I often think of God's amazing grace. I know the right thing to do and yet I don't always do it. I deserve God's wrath; we all do, after all, we are guilty. But Christ took my punishment. The chastisement of MY sin was upon HIM. HE carried ALL my guilt and shame! Does that make me want to sneak around and do what I know is wrong, hoping not to get caught by God? Oh my no! When my sin is brought to my awareness, I'm completely humbled by His grace that I won't ever get what I truly deserve because of placing my trust in Christ Jesus alone and His work on that cross for my sin, for me! Grace and His love are what control me; not fear. There is power in grace that fear knows nothing of. I'm forever grateful to know God's gift of grace and the power of His perfect love.
GRACE ISN'T AN EXCUSE TO GET OUT OF YOUR SIN. IT'S THE POWER TO GET OUT OF IT.
The parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:19
When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
This is important. If we hear the Word but do not understand it, the evil one can snatch it out of a heart. It is ineffective. Just reading, hearing or memorizing the Scripture will not produce good fruit. The blessing is in the understanding. It is important to pray for the understanding. And, that will only come by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is so important to PRAY for the Spirit of Jesus to give us the UNDERSTANDING each time we read the Bible. To not ask Him for the understanding is to lean on our own understanding, which is a waste of time. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. May the Lord open our minds to understand the Word today!
Blessings! Leeanna
Luke 24:45
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
Luke 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Luke 24:32
They asked one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
Acts 16:14
Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.
1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true--in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.