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Thoughts for a Woman's Heart |
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encouragement in things that matter |
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Grace for Always
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For Paul, all of life was wrapped in the grace of God. A formidable and shameful past was eclipsed by a grace to see himself as a new creation in Christ, chosen and fully equipped to serve the God he loved. His confidence and boldness to communicate God’s message was fueled by grace. Grace gave an eternal perspective when the thorns of life pricked, and he persevered and gave thanks through tribulations, relying on the unrelenting sufficiency of God. Grace enabled Paul to consider himself dead to sin, to be responsive to God, and gave him wide-open eyes to see the way out of tempting situations. Grace recognized the infusion of God’s Spirit, discerned and applied principles of truth, and drew strength out of weakness. Grace opened his heart to people who were often foolish and undeserving. Grace has been defined as "God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense." God has always been a grace-giver, but the atoning sacrifice of His Son became the catalyst for an unquenchable outpouring of His grace. That outpouring gifts every believer with all the gifts and resources of God. The choice we have is to avail ourselves of God’s grace – to use the gifts and resources He offers – or, to live in ignorance or denial of God’s grace. The wrappings of grace that Paul depended on, are as available to us as they were to Paul. God’s grace abounds to forgive or heal a shameful past, to help us say "no" to temptations that attack our vulnerabilities, to find enablement in the harsh realities of life, or to respond appropriately to irregular people. Paul said of himself, "Whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me. He was working through me by his grace." Paul also said, "God is able to make all grace abound to you." John Newton, whose life in many ways paralleled the life of the apostle Paul, and whose own heart marveled at the grace of God, penned the words that have been sung by believers for over two centuries. ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far; and grace will lead me home. I have defined my own life as a miracle of God’s grace, but I know that as I have experienced His grace in the past, His grace is mine too for today and for tomorrow. You and I can share in the confidence of Paul. God wants to wrap our lives in His grace, and as Paul said, "God’s grace is sufficient." |
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— Bev |
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