Grace again... and again!

Might we never grow weary of the subject of grace! Isn't it funny how the Lord will sometimes seem to repeat the same message to you in a number of different ways and places? I guess that's just another example of His grace--He knows how frail and forgetful we all are, so He graciously, gently teaches and encourages us again and again! Since my brain has grown so forgetful that I often confuse my youngest child's name with the dog's (but hey, they are both biblical names--one New Testament and the other Old!), I'm mighty thankful for the reminders... and for His never-ending grace. His mercies are new every morning--especially when you can't remember anything from the day before.

The day after I wrote the previous blog on grace and glory, I read these words by William Gurnall, a 17th century English pastor: "If the provisions were left in our own hands, we would soon be bankrupt merchants. God knows we are weak, like cracked pitchers--if filled to the brim and set aside, the contents would soon leak out. So He puts us under a flowing fountain of His strength and constantly refills us... The Christian ought to rely on divine strength because this plan results in the greatest advancement of God's own glory (Ephesians 1:4, 12). If God had given you a lifetime supply of His grace to begin with and left you to handle your own account, you would have thought Him generous indeed. But He is magnified even more by the open account He sets up in your name. Now you must acknowledge not only that your strength comes from God in the first place, but that you are continually in debt for every withdrawal of strength you make throughout your Christian course."

And all God's people said "Amen!" We take so many daily graces for granted--the wonder of a child, the constancy of a spouse, the tail thumping love of a dog, the symphonic cacophony of birds in the early morning, the warmth of the sun, the cleansing of the rain, the soft leather of an old, beloved Bible, the laughter of a dear friend, the joy of answered prayer, the bloom of a dogwood tree. Forgive me Lord for demanding so much and thanking so little.

And then there is His supernatural provision of grace--the manna that is always always always enough, always just what is needed when it is needed--His power, His forgiveness, His love, His strength, His peace... Himself given to us, at all times and in all places.

You know, it is true: if He just laid that lifetime supply on us all at once, we would be stunned and overwhelmed at such extravagance, such utterly undeserved abundance. We would recognize our extraordinary wealth and blessing bestowed by our bank account of grace. But I wonder whether we might be tempted to worry, "When will it run out? How can I preserve and conserve it? What if there is not enough? Perhaps I need to hoard it and refuse to share it, just in case?"

So our all-wise Father gives us our supernatural abundance in gift-wrapped packages of grace on a daily, hourly, moment by moment basis. As Gurnall wrote, "He is magnified even more by the open account He sets up in your name." We need never worry His grace will be insufficient or inadequate. His grace flows freely and fully for our every need--right when we need it. All we must do is ask. Draw upon that never emptying account of grace by calling upon our Father in our emptiness and inadequacy and insecurity and fear and failings.

No wonder Paul could write with such conviction and joy: "...I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Phil.4:11-13) Yes, Paul "learned" contentment, because he had learned that God's grace is always and ever sufficient for his every need. Paul could do anything and everything through the grace of the risen Savior.

And so can we. Same Savior. Same grace. Same strength. Same limitless open account of ever flowing grace to meet our every need. We can learn contentment, as we, too, hand Him our exhaustion or discouragement or fear or failure or confusion and watch His grace meet yet another need or cover another seemingly impossible dilemma or strengthen us to face another struggle. We learn of the sufficiency and greatness of His grace and strength for our every need. And we discover joy and peace and contentment even in the midst of our storms.

We can do all things through Him who strengthens us... for the fountain still flows and flows and flows, and the grace pours down and spills over all our needs and fears and hopes. And then, the glory can only go to the Source of that continuously flowing grace, that endless open account written in your name, in His blood. Might we each day, each hour, each moment say, "Help me, Lord" and then "Thank You, Father." To God, our Gracious Infinite Provider and Strength, be the glory.