HIS MATCHLESS GRACE!
For such a time as today, His Eternal and Matchless Grace has been there all along for us. No matter what we face daily - abuse from people we trust; tough economic times; persecution for our complete Faith in Christ and more - He has never left us nor has He stopped caring. His Grace has always been sufficient for us.
My good friend and sister in Christ Deb Burton looks at Grace as God's Treasure Chest! How about that!!!She has the rest of Today's Food from the Father. DEB BURTON says "Treasure! It's an exciting word in our materialistic culture. But these aren't earthly riches, rather those of the Spirit. And it is not until we see our spiritual poverty and admit our weakness, that we will be looking for God's treasure. So many of us strive mightily against self-focused flesh - and frequently fail. We think this is what it means to live as a Christian - to try and "be good", yet in three of the Gospels, Jesus said that "No one is good--except God alone".5 It is humanism that asks us to be good - God asks us to do good - in His strength. He asks us to be perfect - not the faultlessness of a perfect machine, but maturity - a perfect baby cannot work for God's kingdom.
When we see our poverty - and look at what God is offering, our next step is to take up the key - faith. We believe that God can do all these things - but we must believe He wants to do them for us, in us, and through us. There are those who don't know God personally who trust Him to help more than many Christians do. Yet to know Him is the greatest gift in the treasure chest - for it is the difference between darkness and light, fear and love, between hell and heaven. To have that sure foundation for the Christian life is an eternal issue. But God wants to give so much more - an abundant life filled with joy and peace and love and light, sometimes despite the circumstances. The spiritual life doesn't depend on circumstances, but in the treasure chest is victory over them.
"He said to me, `My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) A life of adventure, companionship and fulfilling work - all this and heaven too.
A.W. Tozer shares a prayer..."God, unto whom all hearts be open... and unto whom no secret thing is hid, I beseech Thee so for to cleanse the intent of mine heart with the unspeakable gift of Thy grace, that I may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee. Amen".6 It is grace which enables us to love God, each other and ourselves - and so "fulfilling all the law in one word, even in this: `You shall love your neighbour as yourself'." (Galatians 5:14) It is by God's grace that we grow into the maturity we need to love one another, and to love those we come into contact with - enough to make the kind of difference that will show, that will draw people to us, and to our God.
The writer to the Hebrews puts it best: (4:15-16) "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
A.W. Tozer shares a prayer..."God, unto whom all hearts be open... and unto whom no secret thing is hid, I beseech Thee so for to cleanse the intent of mine heart with the unspeakable gift of Thy grace, that I may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee. Amen".6 It is grace which enables us to love God, each other and ourselves - and so "fulfilling all the law in one word, even in this: `You shall love your neighbour as yourself'." (Galatians 5:14) It is by God's grace that we grow into the maturity we need to love one another, and to love those we come into contact with - enough to make the kind of difference that will show, that will draw people to us, and to our God.
The writer to the Hebrews puts it best: (4:15-16) "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
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