His Grace Lifts Us Up
ICS Daily Devotions
Romans 5:2-5 (NKJV) through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
As Christians, we have peace with God and we are justified by faith. Therefore, grace is available to us whenever we feel depressed. Going to the throne of grace is being in the presence of God, and when we spend time in the presence of God, the Holy Spirit infuses strength into our inner spirits during the most challenging and difficult moments of our lives. This is what we call standing grace.
In her book “Up: Writing A New Chapter of Joy and Laughter”, Beth Jones writes: “Hope and praise are two of your best weapons against the blues. When your hope is deferred, it makes your heartsick. God wants you to hope. But you have to do it by faith. Hoping in God and His Word gives you the blueprint for a better future. To stir up your hope, remind yourself of what can be. Rehearse your dreams. Then praise God, because praising God is your next step of faith.”
Standing grace is the grace that God gives us to live the Christian life, to access by faith God’s strength, wisdom, and ability to do all that He has entrusted to us. Whatever you need to know, be, or do, God wants to grant grace to you in such a way that you have His supernatural ability in that area, may it be your work, your homemaking, your children’s education, or your spiritual life. It is “grace for the pace”— the spiritual refreshment and relief that we all need in life. Without grace, we will eventually burn out and resent the very things we once loved.
When we have favour with God, we will have faith that He hears our prayer, and this will carry us through all kinds of trials and tribulations of life. Through faith, we stand in grace.
1 Samuel 30: 7-8 (NKJV) Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
One quality of David that set him apart was his wisdom in seeking God’s opinion on the matter at hand. After David sought God’s face, God gave him the word of assurance and the course of action, which resulted in the recovery of all that they had lost.
Like David, we should continually seek the face of God, and investigate His Word to get wisdom regarding how to deal with the various situations in our lives, especially when we find ourselves oppressed or in the blues.
Sermon Series: UP! CG Campaign
