Promise for Today - The Many Facets of Grace

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)

What is grace? Grace is when God gives you what you need, not what you deserve. Every day, you can be thankful for the grace God shows to you.

Everything in your life is a gift of God’s grace. Even the air you’re breathing right now shows God's grace to you! Every good and perfect gift in your life points back to God, who gave it to you because he loves you

It’s ALL by God’s grace.

The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” (NLT).

Heaven is also a gift of God’s grace. You can’t earn your way to heaven. You can’t work your way to heaven. You can’t buy or bargain your way into heaven. It’s all a gift of God’s grace.

Since you can’t earn it, all you can do is receive it—and you receive this free gift by believing that Jesus Christ came to Earth and died for your sins so you could be reconciled to God. You couldn’t do that on your own, so Jesus did it for you. It’s the greatest gift of grace the world has ever known.

In Psalm 103, David lists many gifts of God’s grace. Here are just a few things about God we can be thankful for when we put our trust in him:

He forgives all our sins.
He heals us.
He has ransomed us from hell.
He surrounds us with love.
He fills our lives with good things.
He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it.
He does not get angry easily.
He never holds a grudge.
He has not punished us for our sins as we deserve.

If we received exactly what we deserved after rebelling against God - trying to play God and claiming we didn’t need him - we wouldn’t even have our next breath. But by God’s grace, we do.

Thank God for that grace! We need it every moment, because no matter how hard we try not to, we keep sinning. We need his grace all the time, and he is always ready to give it.

Evidence of God’s grace is everywhere. Take a good look around you today, and thank God for all the ways he has shown you grace—every gift, every mercy, every act of love.

Talk It Over

Why is it important to regularly recognize and thank God for the specific ways he has shown you grace?

Where is God’s grace most evident in your life? What is a new way you see his grace at work in you today?

If you lived with a spirit of gratitude for God’s grace, what would others notice about you?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for the gift of Your grace—undeserved, unearned, yet freely given. Help us to see each moment of our lives through the lens of Your mercy, so that our hearts overflow with thankfulness, even in seasons of challenge. Teach us to notice the quiet blessings: the breath in our lungs, the warmth of sunlight, the kindness of others, and the peace that comes from Your presence. 

      When we are tempted to complain or compare, remind us of the cross and the love that saved us. Let gratitude be our daily song, and may it draw us closer to You, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Keep our hearts thankful in all seasons. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.