We have all received grace from God. Grace can be defined as “giving honor to another”, “expressing or giving favor”, “showing kindness”, being thankful”, and “showing good-will”.
When it comes to God He doesn’t GIVE grace, He IS grace. In other words, we can never receive anything but grace from God because it is His character to BE grace. God isn’t faced with the conundrum of trying to find a reason to give us grace. Every moment of our lives we are experiencing God’s grace because grace is a part of every fiber of God’s existence.
Here is the Psalmists understanding of God’s grace in Psalms 103: 1-5 - “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Here is a question perhaps you’ve never asked or been asked: Do you give God grace? Do you ever blame God for your misfortune? God gets blamed for much of the evil in our world. Do you ever criticize God’s works and ways? Do you ever accuse God of not being fair? Have you ever rebelled against God's will and/or plan? Have you ever tried to make a deal with God to invoke His goodness - grace? Perhaps you like myself can answer yes to one or more of those questions and admit you haven't always be gracious toward God. Often our world is anything but grace toward God.
Perhaps you have never thought about God deserving and needing grace, but He does. In a world of evil, hurt, and disappointments the Divine Sovereign needs our grace to know we don't blame Him for the evil that surrounds us. God needs us to believe the best in Him and to just give him the benefit of the doubt that he could never be evil. God deserves and desires for us to give Him grace just as it is His delight to give us grace. Go back over Psalms 103: 1-5 and notice how many times the Psalmist is expressing grace to God.
1. Praise the Lord (that’s giving honor to God - grace)
2. Forget not all his benefits (being thankful to God - grace)
3. Who forgives all your sins (expressing favor to God - grace)
4. Who heals all your diseases (expressing favor to God - grace)
5. Who redeems your life from the pit (showing/expressing good-will toward God
grace)
6. Crowns you with love and compassion (being thankful to God - grace)
7. Satisfies your desires (expressing favor to God - grace)
8. You youth is renewed like the eagles (giving honor to God - grace)
As the Psalmist expressed grace for God's goodness he also became the beneficiary of God's grace and the joy of God swelled up in his heart. When we express grace to God giving Him the honor He deserves, that grace offered to God becomes the cleanser that purifies our heart and fills our hearts with good-will and favor. It is Divine favor that when we believe the best of God we begin to see the best in ourselves and others.
I can’t think of a better way to end 2021 and to begin 2022 that to give God grace!
May 2022 be a year where you are fully aware of God’s grace, where you give God grace daily, and find it in your heart to give grace to others.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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