Grace is glorious! And sometimes mysterious or elusive.
Have you experienced the gift of grace?
Honestly it can be difficult to see grace in this world sometimes. In our busy, hurried lives filled with distractions from every side, where do we find grace? And how do we hold onto it?
Grace, by definition, can’t be demanded or earned. It is goodness shared with someone who doesn’t deserve it. So the only way to experience grace is to admit that we are less than perfect, far from perfect, nowhere even close to perfect. And at that point it can be difficult to look up high enough to accept the grace that is offered.
When Hezekiah was crowned king he restored the Temple of the Lord and decided to throw a Passover celebration when it was completed. He invited the people from all over Israel to come. The people who came didn’t have time to properly prepare themselves according to Jewish law at that time. But King Hezekiah prayed for them to be accepted, and the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. (2 Chronicles 30:17-20)
When an adulterous woman was brought to Jesus, guilty of a crime that warranted being stoned to death, He allowed her to go free. He instructed her to “go and sin no more”. (John 8:1-11)
The woman at the well had a checkered past. She was looked down upon by many. Jesus revealed himself to her and told her to worship in spirit and in truth. She went away overflowing with joy and praise and couldn’t help but to tell everyone about the Messiah she had just met. (John 4:1-30)
The criminals on the crosses beside Jesus didn’t deserve heaven. But one of them believed the man hanging beside him, turned his eyes to Jesus, and was promised “today you will be with me in paradise”. (Luke 23:39-43)
By grace we are healed. By grace we are given the power to break free from sin. By grace we are filled with the Spirit and are able to truly worship. By grace we are promised the eternal reward. And the common thread? Look to the Lord and be open to receive.
Grace is not forced upon anyone, but is available to everyone. Grace does not magically appear and infuse us at random. It comes when we turn our eyes to the Lord and realize our need for Jesus. It is then offered in abundance and we are free to bathe in its glory. As we accept this amazing gift we are healed, changed, filled with joy, praise, and hope.
Grace was given to the Israelites because they agreed to come to the celebration and Hezekiah prayed for them. It was given to the adulterous woman with the expectation that it would change her. It was given to the woman at the well so that she could share it with everyone she knew. It was given to the criminal on the cross only when he turned his eyes to Jesus and proclaimed his belief.
Grace is freely offered, but must be actively accepted.
As we approach Easter, look to the Lord and how He proved his love to you. Reach out and open the gift of grace. It is offered even if you haven’t properly prepared, even if the world tells you that you are condemned, even if you are filled with shame, even if you have already been convicted and sentenced. This is the miracle, that Jesus was brutally crucified, died and rose again in order to offer you GRACE. Accept the gift!
So until grace is actively received, it isn’t activated. We have to be aware of needing it. Excellent examples and thank you for sharing these insights. God is so good.
Thank you for sharing this!! Grace is so undeserved and so gratefully received.