May 4th
May 4th
How do we test ourselves? Examine our hearts and minds, our priorities, desires, how we spend our time and money. This is done best in prayer and reading the Word. For the Word of God is alive and active and will expose even the hidden things in our hearts that we have refused to acknowledge. But don’t worry, we don’t have to avoid exposing ourselves to the Lord because He is always full of grace toward us when we repent and He is pleased when we desire to examine ourselves so that we can become right before Him and follow Him. Remember He understands and He loves us, so we can approach Him with confidence in His love for us.
Hebrews 4:12-16 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
The word for “grace” in the Greek is xaris or charis (khar’ ece). Take a look at it’s definition and let it blow your mind. It means: grace, favor, undeserved kindness/goodwill, blessing, leaning towards, inclination, favorable towards, leaning towards to share benefit, the Lord freely extends His favor to give Himself away to people because He is “always leaning toward them”, inclined to bless and be near them, reaching for; (In Hebrew the word for grace is Khana’ which also means extending towards.)
How often have we diminished the meaning of grace to simply mean covering our sin or forgiving us. WOW! That is so far from the full meaning! God is not on a throne somewhere with Him arms folded, disgusted with our failures! He is leaning toward us! Reaching for us! He FREELY extends His favor to us, to give Himself to us because He is ALWAYS leaning toward us! He is predisposed, willing, or inclined to bless us and be near us! Oh how we have underestimated the grace, love and nature of our God! Of course we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, He is leaning toward us! I wonder if the early New Testament church grasped this concept more fully than our modern churches. If you look at the books in the New Testament written by the apostles, almost all of them either start or end their writing with a pronouncement of grace to each other.
2 Corinthians 4:15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
He is ALWAYS reaching for us! Let that knowledge change your day today! Let that knowledge reach those around you today!
Jesus, thank you for your grace! Thank you for always reaching for me, even when I am turned away. Help me to remember that you are always leaning toward me and not to take that for granted. Please do influence my heart so that your grace is reflected in my life. Help me to have a better understanding of your grace and forgive me for simplifying it. Thank you so much for your AMAZING GRACE!