Reflections4Life™ April 9, 2023
“The Grace of God”
“For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Scripture Contemplation: Esther 2:17; Psalm 45; Zechariah 10:12; John 1; Acts 4; Romans 3
©Ruthe McDonald.
Happy Resurrection Sunday! God's grace is sufficient and it is power— the power to transform us and to create us into who God has always ordained us to be. God accepts us just as we are, but it would be a travesty to stay the same under His anointing and in His grace. Even a flower must first experience death before it grows. Even a butterfly had to go through a transformation; dying of its old self. Come as you are, but allow the love of God to transform you. God never expected us to do it on our own! That is why we have His grace.
I decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart mind and soul. God’s grace is sufficient for every aspect of our lives. However, we must be willing to accept this gift from our Father. The enemy has duped many of us into believing that we are either not worthy of such love, or that we are fine just as we are because God says to come as we are. In order to know the truth and understand who God truly is, and all that He has ordained for you, you must spend time in His presence. Then you will understand the power and dispensation of His grace and all that waits for you. The entirety of what God has ordained for you. When you do, you will know and understand you could never remain the same—change must indeed take place.
What Would You Do?
I want to make you think today. Think about your relationship with God. To think about His grace and what it truly means to be transformed by the love and grace of God; by Jesus's death and resurrection. By the renewing of our minds.
If you received everything, you ever asked for; all that you wanted, and desired, was manifested right now, what would you do? Would you be content? Would you be happy? Would you continue to seek after God and His way of doing things? Would you want to know more about who God is and whom He called and ordained you to be? Would you be interested in the teaching and voice of the Holy Spirit? Would God be first; your relationship a priority? Would you be consumed with who God is and who He is in you? Or, would all you asked for have the place in your heart and mind that once belonged to God?
I ask these questions to get you to think. Think about your purpose. Think about your intent when you come to God. Is God just a source to receive what you want? A convenient means to an end? Or is God truly King on the throne of your heart and who You desire a sincere, real, and intimate relationship with, solely because He is God?
Is God First in Your Life?
Beloved, is God truly first in your lives? When you tell God that you love Him, what exactly does that mean? Do you love Him for what He can give you? Or do you love Him for who He is? Do you thirst and hunger after righteousness, and intimacy with God. To know who He is just because of who He is? Many claims that God is first in their lives but the moment things do not go their way, they seek another avenue to get what they want. They become angry with God and refuse to fellowship any longer.
How soon we forget the mercy and grace of God when we are faced with impossible situations and God does not move when we believe He should have. We get disjointed and disappointed, not understanding that God indeed has ways far beyond what we can comprehend. Yet, His grace will carry us through if what we truly desire is God Himself and not only what He can do for us.
Do You Even Know God?
God knows who we are. He knows everything about us, every hair, every tear, every thought, every doubt, every solitary thing concerning us. Yet, do we know who God really is, other than someone who can answer prayers? Have you taken time to know His heart, His soul? Or do you only seek Him for what you can gain from Him?
Father God is not a magician or some genie in a bottle. We do not make wishes, and then sit back and wait for Him to grant us our wishes then discard Him when we are through. He is not a Pimp, yet we prostitute ourselves seeking favors and trying to barter with God for services rendered. Telling God, since we have done this, and we have done that, then He should be doing this or that. It is the only reason we serve God.
Do you show God everything? Even though He knows you, have you offered yourself to Him? Have you poured out your heart and soul and sold yourself out to who He is? Not for what He can give you or pour into you; but for the sheer reason of Him being God, your Creator, your Savior, who loves you unconditionally and you want Him to be in every part of your life? Nothing hidden. Giving Him complete access to all of you.
That’s a scary thing, isn’t it? To allow God into those secret places of shame, pain, and confusion for fear of rejection. Because that’s all it is. We fear that God will not be who He says He is. Because some prayers have not seemed to be answered, or we have given up and let go of hope, then God cannot be who He says He is. We treat Him and look at Him, comparing Him to every other person we have had the misfortune of being let down by. He is not them, Beloved. God is not a man that He would lie to nor the son of man that He needs to repent. Even in all of that, God’s grace is extended toward us. His grace saves us from countless situations that we put ourselves in, and would never be able to get out of without Him.
His Grace Changes Everything
God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense. That was the acronym I’d learned at a young age to explain the grace of God. That Christ had paid the price (the Cross) to cover the cost of the bill (Life) that came due before God. Jesus became the payment, the final sacrifice. When we accept Christ into our hearts and we pick up our cross and begin to walk the walk, it is God’s Grace, which strengthens us and brings transformation into our lives. God’s grace, His unmerited favor, ushers us into His presence and affords us the opportunity to not only be saved but to know God.
How much do you want to give to God, not for the sake of getting but for the sake of just knowing Him and being reconciled to Him? How can we partake in His grace and heaven, yet never be willing to risk anything or give up anything; sacrifice, and tell others about God and His love and how much He desires for us to be reconciled to Him in all ways. To be a recipient of His love, care, and concern, not being manipulated, and made to feel inferior, but instead loved, desired, understood, and forgiven. That is God’s grace.
My Beloveds, May the spirit of peace and prosperity finds permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. Do your ways please God? What have you done in your life that has exemplified the love of Christ? We will all stand before the throne of judgment. Have the desire to know God for God and not for what He can do for you or give you. Accept His grace, knowing that Christ’s sacrifice made you worthy. Yes. Come to God as you are, because He accepts you just that way. However, be transformed by the renewing of your mind and the dispensation of God’s grace. The true travesty would be to be in the presence of God and never know who He truly is and who you truly are. Staying the same; stagnated. With access to all things new, but refusing to change because you have become comfortable with how things are and living outside of the knowledge of who God truly is. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!
©2023. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.
