Saving Grace (Acts 15:11)

Today’s scripture: Acts 15:11

We are unworthy of grace. We really are.

We are born sinful, and, without grace, we deserve to die in our sins.

But again, grace isn’t about what we deserve. It’s about what our loving God chooses to do in spite of our unworthiness. It’s about how the Creator of all things, Sovereign God, looks upon His created beings and says, “I want to be in relationship with you; I want to be in fellowship with you.”

And even though we really don’t deserve it, that’s exactly what we can have when we ask for forgiveness and surrender our lives to Jesus Christ.

We are saved through grace, and we—the created—are in relationship with God—the Creator.

It’s mind-blowing and awe-inspiring that we are loved that much.

Are you in awe of what the Creator has done for you? Sit in silence for a moment and just meditate on grace. God’s grace for you.

You Are Worthy! Yes, You! (1 Peter 1:17-19)

Today’s scripture: 1 Peter 1:17-19

Have you ever felt unworthy? And I don’t mean that put-yourself-down “I’m pond scum” kind of unworthy. I mean, have you ever pondered on what Jesus did for you? And then recognized how very unworthy you are?


Over the last couple of years, God has blessed me so abundantly. I live in a beautiful area. I am able to teach from the comfort of my home. I have a wonderful church where I serve by coordinating the drama ministry and by leading a small group. I’m married to a great man who supports me in so many ways.

I often shake my head (literally!), wondering how He could possibly love this flawed, weak woman as much as He does.


I am unworthy of His blessings. Oh, but He—in His unimaginable grace—sees worth in me. So much so, He trusts me to help fulfill His mission. Amazing grace.


Then I read verses like this, and I’m humbled again. And convicted.


Humbled because I am redeemed by the “precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” God the Father saw enough worth in me, He sent His beloved Son to pay the price for my sin (John 3:16). I resonate with the words of the psalmist: “Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?” (MSG, 8:4).


Convicted because I have to ask myself, do I really “conduct [myself] with fear [with reverent awe] during the time of [my] stay on earth”? I pray I do. I know I want to. It’s my heart’s desire to somehow, in some small way, give back to God a fraction of what He’s given me.


To somehow let Him know how grateful I am He sees worth in this cracked, unworthy vessel.



Amazing grace. Indeed.

I Am Worthy ... and So Are You (2 Thessalonians 1:5)

Today’s scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:5

Sometimes I feel so very unworthy of God’s grace. Although I know God truly has used even my most grievous mistakes for good, I still sometimes wish I’d made different choices.

And it would be enough that God saved me, that He welcomed me back in spite of the years of heartache I caused Him. But somehow He sees worth in me. He chooses to use me to help grow His kingdom. He allows me to impact lives.

So how can I complain about suffering? Suffering is part of this fallen world. And though I don’t look at my daily pain as punishment for choices I made, I shouldn’t be surprised by it. Pain and suffering are everywhere. I am not immune.

But if I can look at my pain as part of God’s plan for me, knowing that it keeps me more focused on Him and that others are encouraged when they see my faith through pain, then I can accept it and trust God through it.

I believe God has a purpose for all things. I believe He will work all things for good. 

No Partiality ... None (Galatians 2:4-6)

Today’s scripture: Galatians 2:4-6

As I meditated on these words and prayed for the Spirit’s words for you, I realized I could focus on a couple of things: false brethren bringing us into bondage; not yielding to those speaking lies; or making certain the gospel remains in us.

But what really caught my eye and touched my heart were the words, “God shows no partiality.”

Stop a moment and read over those words again. “God shows no partiality.” None.

We tend to revere those who are smarter or richer or more talented than we are. Somehow they seem to be better or greater. Even in the Christian community, we look at those such as Billy Graham or Beth Moore or Charles Spurgeon or Paul, and think they’re more spiritual than we are or are closer to God.

God doesn’t see us that way. He doesn’t look at how famous we are or how much money we’ve donated to worthy causes. He doesn’t care if our name has been on the cover of countless books or if we’ve had our own radio or television show.

He cares about our heart. He cares about our motives. Just as Jesus commended the widow for giving all she had (Mark 12:41-44) or the tax-gatherer for his sincere prayer (Luke 18:9-14), God esteems us when we sincerely seek His will. When we give sacrificially—and quietly. When we use the gifts He’s given us to serve Him and others.

Our society—especially in the United States—looks at status, at bank accounts, at notoriety. However, God looks at hearts, at service, at dedication to Him.

It’s comforting to know that God loves me as much as He does anyone else. And He loves you just as much!

Not Good Enough? (Galatians 1:13-14)

Today’s scripture: Galatians 1:13-14

Have you ever thought you’re not “good” enough to be used by God? Maybe you’ve done things that shame you when you think of them. Or you deliberately turned away from God in rebellion. Or you’ve made choices that hurt you or others.

How can God use me? you think.

Guess what? None of us is perfect. All of us have our flaws and failings. And yet God chooses to use every one of us in His plan.

Paul persecuted those who chose to follow Christ. And he did it zealously, hoping to wipe this new faith off the map.

Yet God transformed him and used him mightily.

I made choices that led me on a twenty-year journey away from my faith. I very consciously chose to follow my own path and shook my fist in the face of my loving Father.

Yet God welcomed me back with open arms and gave me the blessing of serving Him through speaking and the arts.

We do not—none of us—deserve God’s grace and mercy, and yet He offers them freely. And no matter where we’ve been, no matter what we’ve done, He will use us as He builds His kingdom.

How amazing!

A Nobody (2 Corinthians 12:11-13)

Today’s scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:11-13

Paul, the writer of the majority of the New Testament, deliverer of wisdom, faithful servant of God, could very well have boasted regularly about how God used him. Yet one of his most visible attributes is his humility.

I believe he never forgot what God had done for him. He had actually, literally persecuted Christ’s followers.

When we first meet Paul, he’s supervising the execution of Stephen. Before he meets Jesus, he wants nothing more than to wipe out this new movement following the upstart Nazarene. He’s on his way to Damascus when, as the Bible says: “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2).

Then he meets Jesus: “As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting’ …” (Acts 9:3-5).

It’s easy to see why Paul would call himself a “nobody.” And I totally understand his humility. Even after Paul showed such hate towards Jesus and His people, Jesus lovingly saved him, and God used him in amazing ways.

I too am a “nobody.” I turned my back on God for so many years, choosing to live, not to honor Him, but to fulfill my own fleshly desires. Yet, when I came back to Jesus, He welcomed me with open arms.

And I too am being used by God. It’s enough to make me fall on my face in humble gratitude.

What an amazingly gracious God we serve!

Grace for the Least (1 Corinthians 15:9-11)

Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:9-11

We are all the “least of the apostles.” None of us deserves God’s grace. None of us.

Yet that’s exactly what God offers to us. Grace. Unmerited favor. Getting what we don’t deserve.

Most of us didn’t persecute the church of God, but we sinned. Each and every one of us. Some of us “worse” than others, certainly. But each of us has sinned. Each of has broken the heart of our Lord and Savior. Each of us deserves eternal separation from Him.

Yet, if we receive the gift of salvation by receiving Christ as our Savior, we are covered by God’s grace. We receive eternity with our Lord and Savior.

We receive so much of what we don’t deserve. Even those of us who have been the worst of sinners.

Grace is ours … We just have to ask.

Praise God ... Really! (Psalm 71:14-16)

Today's scripture: Psalm 71:14-16

Today's devotional is short and sweet.

We are given a great privilege of praising God, and He deserves nothing less. He is the Creator; we are the created. He is strong; we are weak. He is holy; we are sinful.

Yet, even though we are weak and sinful, He wants to hear from us. He wants to know that we honor and revere Him—and rightfully so.

I've heard recently that praising God is for us because it makes us feel good, and yes, when I praise Him, I certainly feel very blessed. But my praising God should never be about me. About how I feel. About how I sound when I sing.

No, I should be praising Him because I am in awe of who He is. Because He deserves my focused worship. Because He is worthy of every ounce of glory and honor. Because He is the only way to redemption. Because He is righteous. Because He is my source of peace and hope.

Because He is God.

And I am not.

Bless His Name (Psalm 145:21)

Today's scripture: Psalm 145:21

Our God is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise. Not a day should go by that we believers don't offer Him worship.

Think of all He is ...

He is gracious, merciful, compassionate, and loving. He is patient, gentle, and kind.

He is all-powerful, Sovereign, just, holy, and righteous. He is faithful, unchangeable, infinite, and perfect.

He is wise, personal, and accessible to His children.

He is the Giver of all good things. He works all things for good. He is our Redeemer and Savior. He is our Father, our Abba. He is our Comforter and Teacher. He is the Victor over sin.

He is our shield, our stronghold, our strength. He is our light, our sustainer, our rescuer. He is our fortress and refuge.

He loves us everlastingly and unconditionally.

Praise Him for all He is for He is everything. Everything.

Unworthy ... Yet Made Worthy (John 1:24-28)

Today's scripture: John 1:24-28

We are so unworthy. So very unworthy.

We fail so often, sin so frequently, neglect our Lord time and time again. We pass by opportunities to share the gospel. We don't denounce sin. We take salvation for granted.

We are so unworthy.

John the Baptist said it well ... We're not even worthy to untie His sandal.

Yet, God sees worth in us. He sees something so worthy that He was willing to send His Son—part of Himself—to die an excruciatingly  painful death. And it was excruciatingly painful. Before Easter, I watched The Passion of the Christ again. It's extremely graphic, depicting the pain and torture our Savior experienced on our behalf. Then yesterday, I watched the fifth part of The Bible series on The History Channel (*) in which Jesus is beaten and crucified ... He did that for unworthy me—and unworthy you.

We are loved. We are loved.

And the One whose sandal you are unworthy to untie sees you as worthy. In fact, you are His child. His very, deeply loved child.

Amen!

*If you haven't watched the series, I encourage you to do so. Yes, there are parts that aren't exactly biblically accurate, but for the most part, it's very good. The final part, though, is amazing as it depicts the crucifixion, resurrection, and start of the early church. Just the scene where the resurrected Jesus comes into the room with the disciples (again, not 100 percent accurate) and gently touches their heads ... I wept.

You Are Worthy! (2 Thess. 1:11-12)

To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, NASB)

I love to talk about God’s faithfulness and grace. I love to remind believers that they are sons and daughters of the Most High King of kings.

And because of His grace and mercy, even though we are not worthy, God sees worth in us.

When we do what He’s called us to do, when we work to do His will, He looks upon each of us with fatherly pride. And I believe He longs to say, “Well done, My child,” even more than we long to hear it.

Doesn’t that just amaze you? That He sees you as His beloved child? That He, who deserves all glory, is glorified in you?

I think we forget just how truly amazing it is. The God of the universe, the One who put the stars in place, the One who created all things … This same God knows you by name. He has a plan for you that is unique (Jer. 29:11). He has given you gifts and talents that (usually) you enjoy using, but more importantly, that He uses to grow His kingdom and serve others.

I often say, God doesn’t need us. Not at all. In fact, I think He’d probably do a lot better without us. But that’s not how He works. He’s not a far-off, impersonal god. He’s personal, and He wants to work with us to complete His plan.

And, in His eyes, we are worthy enough to accomplish exactly what He’s designed.

Amen!

Worthy of God's Calling (Eph. 4:1-3)

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
(Ephesians 4:1-3, NASB)

We are unworthy of any grace or mercy, yet God sees us as worthy. We are sinful by nature, yet when we accept the gift of salvation, our sins are washed away.

So how do we—in even the smallest way—honor God and show Him gratitude for that gift?

By learning to “walk in a manner worthy of [God’s] calling.”

And how do we do that?

Paul lays it out well: We need to be humble, gentle, patient, and tolerant in love, and we need to preserve unity in peace.

Pretty tall order, isn’t it?

I’m pretty sure I can be gentle … and I’m pretty tolerant in love, accepting people as they are. And sometimes that does mean “love the sinner, hate the sin.” I seek peace in all interactions.

But patience? I’ve been working on that one for ages—or should I say the Spirit has been working in me. I still tend to want what I want when I want it. I am getting better at this, though, the older I get. I recognize how God has worked in the past, and His timing is usually not my timing.

And humility? This is another area in which I need help. I’m learning to put others ahead of myself (Phil. 2:3-4).

It’s not easy, but it’s part of the journey. And—praise God!—my walk is an ongoing, continuous action, and I’ll continue growing and learning until I meet my Lord face-to-face.

So how’s your walk? Are you struggling with any of these? Pray that the Spirit will work in you and through you, so you will be worthy of God’s calling.