Grace – grace is stunning when you realize that you have been given something of great value, at great cost, that is not earned or deserved. Here I am sitting in a new and amazing house, surrounded by my family happily (mostly) playing together. Ben, Andrew and I took a walk around our new playground of Beasley Hill. Fresh in from the briskness of the walk, the house is warm – the counter full of freshly made pecan, apple, berry and pumpkin pie.

I was reading this morning in Deuteronomy 8…

Deuteronomy 8:11-17 (ESV) “Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’

It is hard for us as Americans to recognize that all we have has been “graced” to us. We value hard work that earns. And certainly we are called to work. But reality is that all that we have has not come by my hand but but His grace. It is the Lord who has made all things – who has given me the very breath I breathe – who has filled this world with good things like home, nature, family richly to be enjoyed. Even the ability to work and to provide for my family comes from His hand.

These joys fill my heart with gratitude but as great as they are they are surpassed by the incredible impossible reality that I am forgiven of my sins and accepted as a child of the King. This is undeserved. I am a sinner unworthy of my beautiful and incredible wife, undeserving of my family, graced with earthly joys beyond measure AND able to freely approach the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This access to the Father is granted to me and to all who trust in the name of Jesus and not our own goodness purely because of the grace of God.

Grace:

A gift of great value… – Salvation where God comes all that way down to me to rescue me

That comes at great cost… – Christ died the death I deserved – not to make a way for me to climb my way to Him but to bring me to life

To the undeserving. – Jesus said he didn’t come to those who have no need of a doctor but to the sick who are unable to rescue themselves.

Reality is we are all sick and unable to save ourselves but the question is will we continue to try to climb the ladder to goodness and God or surrender to the reality that He has come down to us. I am grateful this Thanksgiving that God doesn’t give up on me and that He in grace is willing to save wretches because I am one.

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

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