Five: Wind Mover DevotionalSample

There is Grace

On one of my visits to my dad's home country, the Caribbean island known as St. Vincent & the Grenadines (a beautiful breathtaking collection of other smaller islands), a friend of mine said to me; "God's grace was too expensive for us to purchase, so instead He just gave it away."

That made me think. Even if we tried our very best, we could not purchase the grace needed to cover our sins.

The cost of grace was and is too far out of reach. We could never pay for it and never pay it back. The cost of grace was total and complete disgrace beyond measure.

He exchanged His grace for our disgrace at the Cross.

Have you ever been disgraced before? Times that by ten – no – one hundred, actually by a thousand! And even then, it still won't compare to what Jesus went through. You see, we were in disgrace and we did not even know it. We were (or some of us still are) enemies of God, but even then, that did not stop Him from giving His life for us.

That is grace!

Where we have sinned, where we have fallen short, where we have flopped, fumbled and failed, there is grace.

Grace not only covers sin like love does (Proverbs 10:12, 1Peter 4:8), but it wipes away our sin.

Grace gives a bit of space for our mistakes. Not space for us to continue to make mistakes, but space for us to get up, look around the chambers of our heart, take internal inventory and with the help of Christ, turn our losses into lessons and clean up our mess to produce a message.

This now reminds me of Psalm 119:105 which says; “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (NKJV) This is one of my favourite scriptures, because it tells me that His word can shine a light on where I am standing - He meets me where I am, Immanuel - in my current situation, circumstance, issue, and event. In doing this His light shows me where I am (Genesis 3:9), it helps me realise exactly where I stand, then His light shows me where to go "...a light to my path." NLT says; “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

Have you ever been in a dark room and either felt or possibly somehow saw the outline of something thinking you knew exactly what it was, but then the light was turned on, only for you to realise it was actually something completely different?

It's the same with our spiritual walk. When we sin, we're in a dark room, thinking we know what we are dealing with - disgrace. But if we allow His grace to shine the light of His word into our lives, He illuminates the truth of where we really are and what we actually did (or are doing), but He won't allow guilt to keep us there. This same light provides a way out, it guides our feet to a path for us to take, one that leads to the Cross, the gateway to experiencing His salvation, liberty and fullness of life.

God is not finished with you, He is not finished with me and He certainly is not finished with this world yet.

Just as with the theme of the book FIVE: Wind Mover, God wishes for everyone to be saved, and so has extended His grace by the extension of His patience. He is patiently waiting for you and I to enter and accept His grace. But know this, His love endures forever but His patience does not. Tomorrow is not promised. We have today as a gift, that is why someone said it's called the present. And today, if you are reading this, salvation has come to you, His grace is being offered to you. Will you take it?

What is an even better gift than today, is God's gift of eternal life. But will you accept it?

If you'd like to accept it, can I pray with you?

Pray this prayer from your heart and out loud with your mouth.

Father, thank You for taking me through this five day devotion. I now know that You can use anyone, that I am to be a new creation, that I am supposed to let go, that your Holy Spirit is not just a figure, but is living and moving, and is not an 'it' but is a He. And I know you have given me grace in this space that I am in right now. You are Immanuel - God with me. And I need You to be with me to help me not only begin to understand these things I have read, but to know them as truth and to live them out. As you have given your life for me, I give my life for you and not just live for the gift of today, but to live for the gift of eternal life that you have given me today. Thank you for extending your grace, and thank you for taking away my disgrace, just so that I could be reached and saved.

Amen.

I hope and trust that this devotional has helped you in knowing God and strengthening or beginning your relationship with Him.

So what's next?

Get in touch with a Christian friend, find a home in a good bible believing church, chat with a leader and ask for their advice and guidance, put into action what you read, see and hear - making sure it is in line with His word - and see the His grace give room for the transformation that happens in you as you purposely pursue a walk and a partnership with God.

References

Scripture marked or referred to as (NLT) is taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. NLT brought to you by Tyndale House Publishers Inc.

Unless otherwise stated scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.