We Live By His Grace

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-6

You are here because of the grace and mercy which God so generously poured out on this earth through the life of His son… It pains me when I hear people who take credit for things which can only be accomplished through Christ… Here is a simple equation that I live by, Christ equals life; in other words, if He had not died than there simply is no way that you be here let alone be able to accomplish anything on this earth… Today’s devotion challenges us to keep a level head and always a proper perspective on life… Humility is a word that comes to mind when reading these verses from Paul’s letter… One who lacks humility will go as far as to take credit for things which they have not even done…  Make no mistake about it, if it were not for the mercy that God poured out from above you and I would not be here… We deserve every punishment imaginable; however, the mercy of God has kept us from feeling the full weight of our sins and mistakes… The word of God tells us in Lamentations 3:22, 23 “It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” We sin on a daily basis, sometimes we seen without even recognizing the sin we have committed; however Jeremiah reminds us and Paul confirms it that it is only through the mercies of God that we are not consumed and that we are able to make in through each day of this life… Understand today that you will endure trials and persecutions, but also know that things could always be worse and the hand of God that is stretched out over your life is what has kept you and will keep you… I don’t know about you, but it’s comforting to know that God is rich in mercy… It’s a good feeling to know that God loves me and showed His love for me when I didn’t even know Him nor did I love Him… Paul reminds us of this because of the fact that we make mistakes and bad choices everyday of our lives… If God were not rich in mercy we would not be where we are today… The outcome of our lives could be dramatically different if it weren’t for God’s mercy, the opportunities that we have today would be non-existent if it weren’t for God’s mercy, Paul (once known as the chief sinner) realizes that God must be rich in mercy to spend the life of His son to save the lives of sinners…Two important things for us to remember in life; don’t forget where you came from and who helped you get to where you are now… Paul reminds us today of those factors and teaches us to remember to always give God glory for His mercy! Often times we tend to take credit for things that we don’t deserve; we will stand on our own two feet as if we did everything by ourselves…

Paul says that God loved us even when we were dead in sin, there was a time in your life when you were dead, there was a time in your life when nobody cared about you and there were no achievements or accolades associated with your name! It was when you were down that God loved you, it was when you were heartbroken God loved you, when you were neck-deep in sin that God loved you…  One of the biggest mistakes that we can make in life is looking pass the little things that helped us reach the bigger ones… Paul doesn’t forget that it was God who knocked him off his high horse and grounded him in His word… Paul is credited for writing almost two-thirds of the New Testament and this would not be so if it weren’t for his Damascus road experience… We all have a Damascus road experience, we all have seen the efforts of God to mold us and take us to higher heights… Don’t forget where you came from, don’t take on a (n) ego {Easing God Out} or become prideful and remove the love of God that has been bestowed upon your life! Remember the times when you were counted out, remember the times when you had no one to turn too and know that God was always there and is still with you today! Paul says that God quickened us together with Christ by His grace… Not only was He there in our time of need and despair, but God has pulled us up out of our sin and placed us in the arms of Christ through His death on the cross! A lot of friends will give you advice and tell you things, but God shows up and will pull you out of danger, He will show up and dust you off and plant your feet on solid ground! He quickened you together with Christ because He knew that death was certain, He knew that you needed a savior, He knew that there was more to you than what the earth could see… God raised you up to the level your at today, He has raised you up to be His disciple and to provide a testimony to this land of His faithfulness and His Grace! Don’t forget about the things that God has done in your life, don’t take His Grace and Mercy for granted and don’t allow the problems of today to overshadow the love that God has for you and is showing you right now! This world is a dark and confusing place; you must remember where you came from and who helped you get to where you are now, so that you don’t fall back to where you were…

BE BLESSED!!!