Daily Doses of Grace

Daily Doses of God’s Grace

“But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

+Lamentations 3:21-24

The amazing grace of Jesus is the only thing that keeps me going on some days. I literally can’t imagine living my life without him and the hope he brings me. Sometimes I get so locked up in the cell of my own mind that I cannot see any light coming through the barred window. Happiness is veiled by a dim disposition that overtakes the attitude of joy I am “supposed” to have as a Christian. That was certainly the case this week! I had a week-long intensive Greek course. I barely made it through and there was a couple days I didn’t think I would. Suffocating in my own mistakes and a temporal depression made it difficult to see the light. But it came. I just had to turn my focus from my distress to my deliverer. After seeking prayer from friends and counsel from God’s Word, I was reminded of the daily provision of grace that God gives to his children. Listen to Jesus’ words to a persecuted Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9–10:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Daily Doses of Grace

This is a verse I rehearse alot! The Lord was telling the apostle that God gives just the right amount of grace for his sons and daughters to get through each day. In our own power, we think that we can overcome any obstacle, but God has a way of knocking us down a few pegs. He loves to deflate our oversized egos with some good ole humility. As the Scripture from Lamentations states, the mercies of God are “new every morning.” There is an important lesson to be learned here. God’s grace and mercy not only saves us eternally but secures us daily. So often we think of God’s grace as a one time event by which Jesus saved us from our sins and we move on from it. But brother and sister, let me assure you that his glorious riches are waiting for you every morning to strengthen and equip you for all that he has planned for you. As Paul contended in Philippians 4:4, we must “rejoice in the Lord always.” As children of God, forgiven and set free by grace, we are free to rejoice in our suffering. Every stinging pain has a heavenly hope attached to it. Therefore, we must make it a daily habit to turn our hearts and minds from our heartaches to the hope we have in Christ. The Holy Spirit who dwells inside of our hearts, cradles us when we are hurting and strengthens us to put one foot in front of the other. This is the daily dose of grace that God provides for us each day.