Today's Worship: God's mysterious grace.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in James 4:6,

 

"He [God] gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"

 

James quotes Proverbs 3:34 here to make his point that our God is a gracious God and extends his grace toward us. What is grace? Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines it as, "unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification, a virtue coming from God, a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace."

 

In short, God's grace is the gifting he extends to us, gifts that are given unearned, or unmerited. We think in terms of the wonderful love and kindness of God as we consider the gifts he gives.

 

These gifts include life itself. At one time there was no existence of a person called Trevor Fisk, but today there is. My very existence is a gift of God's grace, the gift of life. In a very real and present sense, my continued existence, whether in this life or the next, is due to God's grace given me, a moment to moment gifting of God's grace. 

 

Out of his grace God has provided us a Savior who has made a way for us into his kingdom. He provided Jesus Christ as a sacrifice of atonement for our sins. We didn't deserve to have our sins paid for but out of God's wonderful love, mercy and kindness he has provided us Jesus Christ as, "the way and the truth and the life." John 14:6. This is the greatest expression of God's grace toward us.

 

God has provided me all I need for life and for godliness as an expression of his grace as well. I didn't do anything to earn it, but he extends it to me nonetheless. Humility is the attribute God looks for in the giving of his expressions of grace. As I think of all God could ask for to receive anything from him, I find humility to be something we can all approach God with.

 

What a mystery is this love, mercy and kindness of God as expressed in his grace toward us!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com