Grace

Are you involved in a story of great grace? How about giving to someone who can offer nothing in return? How about serving a person in need?

What a response to God! What generosity! Remember these were “freewill offerings” the people were bringing. They were giving voluntarily from a heart of worship in response to God’s amazing love and grace. How are you doing with your freewill offerings?

Today, thank God for his compassion - his affection that leads to action. Thank God for his grace - acceptance without condition. Thank God for his patience - his slowness to become angry. Thank God for his love - the love that sent Jesus to the cross to pay the penalty for your sin. Thank God for his faithfulness - He will always keep his promises. Thank God that through his Holy Spirit, he is standing with you right now.

There is much discussion about God hardening Pharaoh’s heart. But think about it. This was a tremendous act of God’s grace. God simply kept the pagan king doing what his heart was already bent on doing - opposing the work of God. The multiple plagues showed the Israelites that God was to be feared and followed.

Don’t run from him; run to him! God promises that if we confess our sins, he “is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). It’s time to come out of the darkness into the wonderful light of God’s grace.

There are some surprising people included in Jesus’ genealogy. Yesterday we considered several observations about Matthew’s list (Matthew 1:1-17). Today we will consider four women in Jesus’ lineage.

The work of Jesus on the cross was applied to this condemned man. All his sin was laid on Jesus, and he passed from death to life. Such is the power of grace. Such is the fullness of forgiveness.