We need help every single day to wisely and safely and joyfully and productively keep going in life. And we will have every single day’s worth of help that we need to keep going in life because we have Jesus! He is gracious, so He is ready to help us. He is loving, so He is willing to help us. He is mighty, so He is able to help us. Ready. Willing. Able. His grace means we don’t have to earn His help, His love means we don’t have to pry His help, and His might means we don’t have to doubt His help. Be confident and courageous today knowing that no matter what comes your way, the help of Jesus is on the way.
He Will Help Us Every Moment
Devastating tragedy. Unexpected loss. Agonizing heartache. There is no way to be adequately prepared for sudden suffering when it blindsides us. We don’t see the hardship coming, but we can be sure of this: we will see the grace of God coming. He will not leave us alone to face the trials of this world. We don’t have the answers, but He will give us guidance. We don’t have the will, but He will give us strength. We don’t have optimism, but He will give us hope. We don’t have a lot of things on our own, but we do have Jesus. And He is everything. Take heart in this: He will help us every moment we cannot help ourselves.
God Has Solved It All
Here’s just one of the many things that is so amazing about God’s grace: we would still be walking in darkness if He had not shined His light upon our hearts. We would not have seen our sin for what it is, but even if we did… We would not have cared, but even if we did… We would not have been able to do anything to change. But God has solved all of this. His light exposes our sin, reveals His grace and leads us to faith in Jesus. Whoever follows Him does not live in darkness, but has the transforming light of life. Today, as we walk in the light, let us remember to praise God for drawing us to the Light of the World.
Grace Is God’s Answer
Grace is God’s answer to the question of how sinners like you and me could ever be welcomed into His presence, His family and His blessing. Then, grace poses a question for us to answer: will you receive it? The gospel of grace is only good news if it is true, if you are included in it, and if you believe it. It is true. You can be included. Do you believe? You can have it all if you believe Jesus is Who the Bible says He is, Jesus did what the Bible says He did, and Jesus will deliver all the Bible says He will. Grace leads us to Jesus. Faith leads us to follow Jesus in loving obedience. Nearness leads us to enjoy real life with Jesus.
A Life Of Real Contentedness
You can’t afford it; but it’s already paid for. You can’t earn it; but it’s freely given. You can’t secure it; but it’s always available to you. God’s grace has countless implications and applications for everyday life and eternal life, ranging from getting good things to getting through bad things to getting to the best things. There is grace for you to have the life of real contentedness that you’ve always wanted. And that’s just the beginning, for it will expand and extend throughout eternity. All you have to do is … Want it. Ask for it. Receive it. Enjoy it. Grace isn’t about your doing or your deserving; it’s about God giving us His gifts.
God-Glorifying Happiness
How is God glorified through our happiness? There are at least three ways… First, He is glorified when we trust that He knows best how to make us happy, and we lovingly do what He says to bring about our happiness. Second, He is glorified when we thank Him for the good things He gives to us and does for us that make us happy so that He gets credit. Third, He is glorified when we treasure Him as our ultimate source of happiness by delighting not just in His gifts, but in Him as a good and generous and gracious Giver. Trust Him. Thank Him. Treasure Him. This is how God is honored in us and we are happy in Him.
Contentment Will Be Ours
We rob ourselves of satisfaction when we long too deeply for something more or something different than what God has given us. We will not like our lives when we think too much about how unlike they are from… The way it used to be in better times. The way we want it to be in current times. The way it seems to be for others at all times. But we can stop this robbery by trusting God knows best what to give us and by treasuring what God does give us in, through and because of the gift of His Son. Contentment will be ours if we stop focusing on what is absent from our lives and start rejoicing that Jesus is present in them.
God Never Stops Working
He doesn’t take a day off. He doesn’t take a break. He doesn’t take a nap. God never stops working for you and me. 24/7/365/Lifelong. He is continually doing things we cannot do, doing things on our behalf and doing things to ensure that He is honored in us, and we are happy in Him. Tirelessly. Flawlessly. Endlessly. God keeps going to work things out for our good, work to make us more like Jesus, work through us to change the world, and work to get us safely home. What grace! Today, we will not see all that God does for us. But let us never forget the good news that He will never stop doing His good work.
Time, Talent And Treasure
God has given spiritual and physical gifts to each member of His family to be used in serving others. We steward His grace by using our “time, talent and treasure” to extend His help and express His love to the people in our lives. God graciously does at least six things as we receive and use what He blesses us with: He gives us these gifts, brings us enjoyment as we use these gifts, fulfills a divine purpose with these gifts, blesses others by these gifts, brings about eternal results from these gifts, and glorifies Himself through these gifts. Therefore, let us aspire by grace to do the very best we can with what we have been given.
Two Sides Of Faith
Biblical faith has a responding side and a receiving side. Part of faith is responding in obedience. We trust what God says, we trust He will help us do what He says, and we trust that He will be pleased when we do what He says. Part of faith is receiving what God does for us. We trust what God says, we trust He will do what He says, and we trust that we will be pleased when He does what He says. Real faith includes believing in the promises of God and living out the purposes of God because we trust Him. Today, let us confidently do what God tells us to do because we are confident in what God tells us He will do.
Freedom Means Having No Regrets
Freedom isn’t just wanting to do something, being in a position to do something, and having the ability to do something. Real freedom is all of those things plus no regrets over what you do. You’re not really free if you have the desire, opportunity and ability to do something that you later wish you hadn’t done. Only Jesus offers this kind of full and forever freedom. He takes away our enslaving sin and all of its pain, and makes a way for us to experience life with God and all of its pleasures. Freedom comes by receiving through faith all that He graciously gives us to enjoy without guilt. Restraint free. Regret free. Really free.
He Delights To Do Good For You
God doesn’t just do good for you; He delights to do good for you. When it comes to blessing you both now and forever, your Heavenly Father is not grumpy or grumbly about it. You will find no hesitance or reluctance in Him as He continuously pours out over your life what He knows is good for you. He… Gladly guides you. Fervently forgives you. Eagerly equips you. Cheerfully comforts you. Readily refreshes you. Willingly welcomes you. Happily helps you. God is not forced to give us benefits and blessings in Christ. Oh that we might see His loving heart behind all He does for us: He doesn’t have to. He wants to.
The Best Is Always Yet To Come
For all who trust in Jesus, there is a glorious eternity ahead in which bad things will be eliminated, good things will be perfected, and the best things will be unveiled. We have an eternity with Him that… Never gets stale. Never gets boring. Never gets routine. Never gets unappealing. Never gets finished. There will always be more to discover and enjoy from the immeasurable riches of God’s grace towards us in Christ Jesus. Don’t live for this day; live for that day. Don’t be discouraged by this day; be encouraged by that day. Take hope in this every day: for those who are trusting in Jesus, the best is always yet to come.
God Cares
Satan is a liar. And there is one lie he both whispers and shouts that is the fountainhead from which ten thousand other lies spring forth: God. Doesn’t. Care. He wants you to believe… God doesn’t care about your sin, your struggles, your service or your sorrows. The enemy wants you to believe that God doesn’t care about your life. But Satan is the one who doesn’t care about you! God showed His care by sending Jesus to defeat sin, turn struggles around for good, make service meaningful and replace sorrows with rejoicing. All around you are shouts and whispers from God proclaiming one wellspring of truth: “I care.”
Overflowing Cups
We are to be generous with our words, actions, time, money, forgiveness, kindness, hospitality, patience, service, friendship, compassion, skills, truth-telling and love. Even as we enjoy what God does for us and gives to us, we can confidently share every good resource in our lives as He leads us, knowing that even as we give away, there is always enough. God is continually pouring out more forgiveness, goodness, kindness and blessedness so we can be more of a witness to His generosity by giving away part of what He gives to us. Overflowing cups are not for us to choke on, but for us to let others drink from too.
It All Belongs to God
What you and I have is ultimately not our own; it all belongs to God. Our time is His. Our Talent is His. Our Treasure is His. Little or much, temporary or lasting, tangible or unseen, everything in our lives is the property and possession of God. We have been entrusted to steward it faithfully, dispense it liberally, and credit it clearly to the One from Whom all blessings flow. Our stewardship will not be judged by the amount we are able to give, but by the readiness, cheerfulness and faithfulness of our giving. It is not a matter of how much we have to be generous with, but how generous we are with how much we have.
Heirs To Possessions And Pleasures
Human beings tend to be treasure hunters. We are inclined to attach too much value to, and become too attached to, earthly possessions and pleasures. We often want to have more of these for ourselves and have more of these than others do, so we spend our lives collecting and comparing. When we remind ourselves of all that we have in Jesus, this frees us to pursue better things. As adopted children of God, we are heirs to every good possession and endless pleasure in heaven. This means on earth we can be joyous no matter what we have, generous with what we do have, and unenvious of what others have.
Death Is The Door To Life
It’s incredible. It’s inevitable. It’s irreversible. Life after death is coming for every person who has saving faith in Jesus. Jesus decisively defeated our enemy, our sin and our unbelief through His perfect life, His atoning death, His victorious resurrection and His effectual call upon our lives. In doing so, God removed everything standing in our way from fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore in His presence in heaven. Because of this, we do not need to fear death for we know what awaits on the other side. Take heart! For Christians, death is the door to life, and Jesus has left it unlocked for each of us to enter in.
We Are Safe In Jesus
Human effort couldn’t overcome it. Human wisdom couldn’t solve it. Human goodness couldn’t cancel it. But God did something glorious and gracious about our biggest problem: He condemned our sin on the cross so you and I don’t have to be condemned for our sin. For those who are trusting in Jesus, this means we don’t have to live in constant unease that God is going to turn against us or turn us away when we don’t measure up. Our sins, our shortcomings, our struggles and our setbacks have all been dealt with once and for all. We are safe in Jesus. He takes away our sin and makes a way for us to not sin.
Not Guilty
Not guilty. But it happened. Not guilty. But You saw it. Not guilty. But I did it. Not guilty. But I owe for it. Not guilty. When we repent and believe the gospel, God applies the perfect life of Jesus and the atoning death of Jesus to our record, and we who really are guilty of sin are set free. Free from shame. Free from judgement. Free from punishment. Therefore, we can dismiss fear of death, face life courageously and look forward to an eternity where punishment has been replaced by reward, inheritance and blessing in God’s presence. Rejoice today, for Jesus has the final word for those who are trusting in Him: Not guilty.
