HAVE YOU RECEIVED THE BLESSINGS FROM GOD’S GRACE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
(Ephesians 4:7)

MEDITATION:
Grace is described as
    “the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested
      in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings”
We receive grace through the salvation that God gives us,
but did you catch the second part of the description? Grace
is also the ‘bestowal of blessings’. God’s grace includes giving
us His blessings as He chooses to apportion them to each one
of those who belong to His family.

In the Bible, the Christian life is never referred to as a bed of roses.
It’s an uphill challenge, because society is going one way and the
Christian is going the opposite direction. But Jesus said that in the
midst of our problems, during our difficulties, He will be there to
give us grace and peace.

When Jesus walked the earth in human form, those who had an encounter
with Him went away rejoicing. Jesus was their tranquilizer. However, in the
world we live in today, people are looking for all kinds of ways for steadying
themselves.

When we leave Jesus out of our lives, we miss out on the blessings He has
for us and consequently, we can’t go on our way rejoicing. He can straighten
out our life and put us back on center. We have a desperate need for Him and
He knows it. But the good news is, He wants us to be dependent on Him and
not independently relying on ourselves.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Am I missing out on the blessings from the Lord’s grace?
    – Am I having trouble rejoicing as I go my way?
    – Have I missed (or forgotten) my encounter with the Lord?
       Our encounter with the Lord is not meant to be a one-time
       emotional event, it is a lifetime relationship that grows
       stronger every day.

We need to take time out of our busyness and reacquaint ourselves
with Him and His goodness. He spent six hours of His time in pain
and agony on the cross for us as an expression of His grace. Shouldn’t
we allocate some amount of time each day for Him as an expression of
our love and appreciation for what He did for us?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unmitigated grace to me.
I am in awe of what You did for me so I could to receive Your
salvation and blessings. Forgive me if I have drifted away from
You. You are always the same and You never move, so if there is
a wider gap in our relationship, I am the one who moved. Help
me to allocate more time in my schedule for You. If I need to
sacrifice some of my free time for You, remind me of the time
You sacrificed on the cross for me. I need Your calmness and
strength in order to deal with the many trials I face in my life.
By faith I reach out to You to receive Your blessings of peace
and joy.”

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