"See to it that no one misses the grace of God." (Hebrews 12:15, NIV) What a sobering admonition. But, it does not mean that grace is elusive or fleeting! Quite the opposite is the case--for a multitude of reasons we think we can 'do' life apart from grace. We actually choose to cut the umbilical cord of Father's continuous, unconditional, empowerment of "Great Grace"! Talk about shooting yourself in the foot--yikes and ouch to the 'nth' degree!
Believe me, I have too much experience in 'grace-less' living. It isn't a pretty picture. The damage left in its wake is far reaching and can even tarnish the best of intentions. Neglect of grace or "missing the grace of God" opens the door to a life of regrets...even if you are a professing believer in Christ. Call my crazy; but to deny yourself of the grace of God in this challenge called life might even be...(with all due respect) stupid. To persist in graceless living is best defined as stuck on stupid!
As Max Lucado says: 'Grace is more than we deserve, (and) greater than we imagine. Grace is God's best idea. His decision to ravage a people by love, to rescue passionately, and to restore justly--what rivals it? Of all his wondrous works, grace, in my estimation, is the magnum opus!' Ezekiel captures this grace with laser accuracy, "I'll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that's God-willed, not self-willed." (Ezekiel 36:26, Msg)" What marvelous grace; to give us a heart that is responsive to the grace of God!
"God's Grace has a drenching about it. A wildness about it. A white-water, riptide, turn-you-upside-downness about it. Grace comes after you!" (Max Lucado) My counsel to me and you; unashamedly stop, turn around, and embrace grace every moment of 2014. His abundance of grace; if you receive and embrace it, will put brilliant color into the meaning of life, the wasted years of life, and the poor choices of life. God answers the 'mess' of life with one word: grace.
"Here's what I want you to do (stop being a human doing and become by grace a human being): find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God (or your mirror). Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace." (Matthew 6:6, Msg) This "grace focus" will become a secure GPS; gracing guidance for each step of 2014.
"Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus...All we (need) to do is trust him enough to let him do it. (Grace) is God's gift from start to finish!" (Ephesians 2:7-8, Msg) He loves to teach us the 'unforced rhythms of grace'! Can you become a student of grace in 2014? Father, please enroll me afresh. How about you? Don't miss the grace of God one more second!
In the school of grace, Ron Ross
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