OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-FRIDAY-30/09/2016-GRACE, NOT DISGRACE-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
GRACE, NOT DISGRACE
Memorise
As it is
written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and
whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Romans 9:33
Read
Psalms
23:1-6;
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He
maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He
restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's
sake.
4 Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou
preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my
head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in
the house of the Lord forever.
KJV
MESSAGE
Grace is the favour of God to human beings.
It is the demonstration of God’s goodwill towards humankind in the person of
Jesus Christ, and the effects of that goodwill in human lives. The word is
rarely found in the Old Testament but employed frequently in the New Testament,
leading some to declare the New Testament period as the dispensation of grace.
The Christian life is completely dependent upon the grace of God. God’s grace
compensates for human weaknesses in that God shows Himself gracious in His
dealings with human beings. John
1:16-17 says:
“And of his fullness
have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
God’s grace is
abundant (Romans 5:17). This
grace is not only abundant but can be exceeding in one’s life (2nd Corinthians 9:14).
Grace is one way God makes up for our short comings. Grace covers our human
frailties. Through grace, God uses our very limited strength and resources to
do the impossible. This He does by adding His own strength and resources to
ours. With grace, you lack, limitations, and defects are fully covered. When
you have exceeding grace, it means God’s provision far exceeds your need.
Grace is in action at those times that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray in accordance
with God’s will when we do not know how to pray (Romans 8:26-27). When you have
prayed, fasted and tried without measuring up to standard, then it is time to
fall back on His grace. Grace can be accessed at varying measures. To some
people, grace may be unavailable, to some, only a little, while some will have
it in abundance, and for some others, grace will outnumber their needs. What
level of grace do you have access to? If you want to access extreme levels of
grace, do not frustrate God’s grace that is currently available upon you, do
not waste it and do not become a storage tower of grace, but rather, be a
channel of grace. Always use grace for the purpose it is given to you. Be
gracious to others. Be generous. Live a holy life. 2nd Corinthians 6:1 says:
“We then, as workers
together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in
vain.”
God does not wish that we receive His grace
in vain; He wants us to be progressive by growing in grace. God wants us to
share His grace with others for them to taste and see that the Lord is good.
May His glory fill the earth, that His name may be praised forever more.
Prayer Point
Father, let your grace
be sufficient for me. Please Lord; make me a distributor of your grace.
Bible in one year
Ezekiel 23-24, Psalms
71:1-13
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