Grace Giver – Emily's Snippets

In the hush of the moment, the Elder prayed, blessing and praising God as our Grace Giver. The more I thought of those two words, the more my heart overflowed with praise and adoration. Until that moment, grace was simply a word to sing…in that moment I knew the Grace God gave us.

How many years have I sung, Grace, Grace, Marvelous Grace and not really known the Giver of Grace? I did not know the depths of love that God poured into the Gift of Grace. I did not know what to do with such a gift!

The scientific world sees the world as spinning on its axis. Now I see the world spinning on an axis of God’s endless love. The kind of love we cannot see except in the hearts of those who delight in the Lord. Why does our world seem to wobble when God’s love is not found in our hearts?

Only God can be the Giver of the Gift of Grace. In our tiny world of Me-ism, we try to make sense of our lives each day without Him. We may order our world to suit us. We may be the “go with the flow” person who skims the surface of life, but never sees God’s purpose in our lives. Or, perhaps, we are aware of believing in God, having faith and living a life as a servant of Christ, giving our lives to Him.

When I first heard the term Ambassador for Christ, I did not understand. I knew that an ambassador goes to another country to live among strangers. Yes, and we are Ambassadors for Christ when we know the Giver of Grace and when we embrace the Giver and His Gift of Grace. And we live in a world of those who do not know Him.

We embrace Him by turning our hearts to the One who gave his life on the cross to make a bridge to receive God’s Grace. Being an Ambassador is living a life of God’s Grace so others can see His Gift in us.

When we choose Jesus, we choose a life of service, love, and encouragement to others. Long ago a teacher told us, someone is always watching us. How we respond to life is our testimony. When we learn to accept Grace and let it change our lives, we are a reflection of God’s Love and His Gift of Grace.

The lyrics describe what it is like to His every day.

       You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
         You raise me up to walk on stormy seas
         I am strong when I am on your shoulders
         You raise me up to more than I can be. (Josh Groban)

Recently I heard my husband, 91 years old now, and years into Lewy Body Dementia, be an ambassador for Christ. The Caregiver asked him, Are you ready to move to the bed? He responded, “If we are with the Lord, we will be fine.” Even if he lives in the midst of mental confusion, he lives for Jesus.

Dr. David Murray describes five ways that the gift of Grace makes our lives blossom into maturity in the wisdom of God.

Grace Motivates – Gratitude creates energy to live for Him But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 1Corinthians 15:10 – Timothy, my dear son, be strong in the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:1

Grace Moderates – Accepting that she is not perfect or can be. She accepts what is and is content in the Gift of Grace. Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22; Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. Hebrews13:18 – For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Grace Multiplies – Putting God first – and letting God give the increase. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. I Corinthians 3:6 – Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20

Grace Releases – Realizing that God is sovereign in everything. Submitting to setbacks and problems, accepting them as tests of her trust in God’s control. Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! Matthew 18:21-22 – In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:9.

Grace Receives – Gratefully receiving the grace of a weekly rest day, grace of sufficient sleep, grace of physical exercise, grace of family and friends, the grace of Christian fellowship. These are the ways God in Heaven provides to refresh and renew us. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself. Acts 20:32

Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:24

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. Galatians 1:15-16

Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. Titus 3:7

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

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