You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  For God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6,8

Sometimes there just seems to be so many emotional storms through life.  If I was just a little older, if I was just a little younger, if I was just a little thinner, if I just was a little heavier, if I just was married, if I just felt important.  These are moments where condemnation and what we know as peer pressure arise and many times begin to direct the course of our lives in ways that are less than wonderful.  But in the midst of all the details of our lives God demonstrates his love for us, right where we are, usually not right where we want to be.  If in your life you have ever felt powerless, ungodly or what can be known as a sinner, know in this place Jesus the Christ gives you his grace, which is his love without any condemnation or peer pressure of any kind.  Today let your heart be filled with his love, his kindness, his delight and his blessing.  You are either a man or woman of God because of the grace in Jesus Christ.  You are no longer powerless, you are no longer ungodly.  In fact you are now the demonstration of the blessing of God to your family, your friends and your neighbors. This is the right time to enjoy!

He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Sometimes through our journey in this life we find ourselves thinking life is much more complicated than it was intended to be.  Let’s just suppose the grace of God in Jesus the Christ is real and is not that complicated.  Here in his grace there is no condemnation of any kind, no bitterness of any kind, no resentment of any kind and no mistrust of any kind.  His grace gives a beautiful voice to mercy and faith so we may begin to live life in a freedom that can be called joyful.  Today that has been given to you as a gift, relax in the beauty of his grace and mercy.  Let your thinking and emotions enjoy your life in him without fear or anxiety.  There is a natural fragrance that will be yours in the grace and mercy of our Lord, it is called thanksgiving.  Everyone around you will be blessed because you are now the expression of his kindness and mercy.  Enjoy!

So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work.  Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.  For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? Ecclesiastes 2:24,25

He gives us taste buds to enjoy and delight in eating and drinking.  He gives us vision and hearing to enjoy and delight in his creation.  He gives us his grace so that we may enjoy and delight in a relationship with him and others without feelings of insecurity.  What happens in the noise and busyness of our time is that we have a tendency to forget that his grace is relational and refreshing.  In those moments we forget who he is and who we are in him.  Today may you find yourself choosing to enjoy what is around you with a heart of thanksgiving to the Lord.  Go ahead and bless everyone that you come in contact with and your life will be a beautiful fragrance that brings delight to you and those around you.  Enjoy

God saved you by his grace through faith.  And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8,9 NLT

Whatever may be true about sin and whatever has happened to all of us because of it, God has done infinitely greater by his grace through Jesus Christ.  Where sin increased with all its forms of condemnation, right there grace overwhelmed with joy and freedom.  Grace is the power of God’s love given to us all in and through Jesus the Christ.  It is only grace that could make sin yield.  The result of grace upon our life is faith and therefore faith becomes the first result of the new life bestowed.  Here the healing from all our condemnation begins.  This really is a gift worth opening; it will refresh your life forever.  Today know that you are free to enjoy being loved, valued and honored because of God’s grace.  Here your heartaches have a place to be made whole; your past will no longer be the ruin of today.  You might just find yourself smiling right down to the depth of your soul.  God’s freedom of grace is yours.  Enjoy!

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.  Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.  Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law.  Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:12-14 NLT

 Here is the freedom of God’s salvation.  Legal obedience was never the condition for our salvation or freedom.  God never saved us by law. What the requirements of the law had to do with our salvation was to provide the way for sin to express itself so that we might see our condition and enter into God’s grace through Jesus the Christ.  In this place condemnation and fear leaves the room because salvation has nothing to do with human merit, it is given in the freedom of God’s grace.  God never withholds grace because of sin; in fact grace is the infinite flow of perfect love.  Today may you celebrate the freedom of grace in your desires, your emotions and your conclusions.  Grace will and has provided the way for all wounds to be healed so that you may enjoy the beauty of who you are in and through Jesus Christ.  Rejoicing, peace and encouragement are yours know and forever.  Enjoy!

 God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

There is something absolutely enjoyable when we find ourselves in a place where we are loved and respected.  In this place there is no stress, anxiety or feeling of walking on egg shells.  We find ourselves relaxed and refreshed so that we have the freedom of expression, especially the giving of gifts of encouragement in the details of individual lives and helping in how ever we can, even financially.  God's grace allows us the freedom to live this way twenty four seven, Wow!  Talk about being refreshed, how about actually living in a place, no matter where we are found, where kindness is given and expressed without condemnation of any kind.  Grace puts a smile in what we say and in what we do.  Today may you find yourself overwhelmed with his grace.  Encouragement and thanksgiving will naturally flow from your mouth as well as your hands.  What you find to do today will bring joy to you as well as everyone around you.  God's grace just makes a good day and allows you to see and hear with new eyes and ears.  Feel free to have tones in your voice and expressions from your face that cause others to be renewed as you have by his grace.  Enjoy!  

 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:8,9

The beauty of the life that is given to us in Jesus the Christ is a freedom to rejoice and relax in the midst of our opportunities.  The power of his grace is that we will be in his presence someday and in that place we will be blameless because of Christ.  This being true, for God cannot lie, lets us encourage instead of being irritated.  Bless instead of cursing, trust instead of being suspicious.  The joy of knowing we will be blameless is that he keeps us strong in and through the storms of life.  Grace is always refreshing and therefore allows a positive perspective which can be seen as joy.  Today may you experience the strength of his grace.  Let your old habits that do not take you where you hoped to go, be lost in the life of his grace.  The habit of grace in your life will bring a delightful attitude, a refreshing emotion and wonderful thoughts about God, to you and those around you.  Today, may those who come in contact with you sense the freedom of Grace.  Enjoy!

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.  I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.  Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:19-23 NLT

 No matter who we are, no matter how much money, education or talent we have, we all have moments of sorrow and suffering.  These storms may be for a day, they may be for a week and sometimes they last for a season.  In this place, many of us grieve over our loss.  But right here in the midst of the storm the fragrance of hope comes and begins to renew us, not because of the storm, but because of the one who loves us without embarrassing us or ridicule.  The mercies of our Lord that begin afresh each morning are word, tones and actions of grace.  Here hope, tenderness and compassion are found and we begin to be renewed.  On this new morning may your hope in the beauty and grace of our Lord allow you the joy that has no regret.  No matter where you have been, for whatever season, know you are loved and his grace and mercy are yours today.  His blessings are yours now and forever.  Enjoy!

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."  The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him. Lamentations 3:24,25

 What a wonderful journey life is, even with all its highs and lows.  The awe of falling in love and finding that someone else loves you as much as you love them.  Wow, what a refreshing time that is and as wonderful as that is, it gets even better with age.  When the Lord becomes a reality to us in the journey of life instead of some kind of belief or religious system, his grace begins to overwhelm us.  Let us remember that his grace is his love expressed and given without condemnation and with his grace in our lives we now have the freedom to enjoy giving love to others the same way that he has done for us.  With grace we find the joy of giving more than receiving then our thinking and emotions can really enjoy our journey.  Today may you enjoy the Lord as your portion, knowing how much he loves you.  Let all who meet you see and hear your hope and joy in him.  Let his grace allow your life to overflow with emotions of thanksgiving.  His grace will do things through your life and speech that will blow your hair back, it will feel like you have lost weight.  Enjoy giving his grace to everyone, it will put a smile on your face and all those around you.  I told you love gets better with age.  Enjoy!

 Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.  For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean. Hebrews 10:22

Sometimes along our journey we feel or have some kind of sense that God is not interested in the details of our lives.  That feeling or sense is real, but it is not telling us the truth.  Here again we have in God's Word a wonderful picture of his grace working in and through our lives.  We are invited to come into his presence with our full emotions and intellect, allowing the faith and grace he has given to express itself before him.  We are reminded that we now have no condemnation, shame or at times feelings of worthlessness, all because of the blood of Christ.  Today, may you enjoy your journey of grace and go right into his presence with the details of your life.  As you do, enjoy the attitude of thanksgiving, it will bless you, those around you and refresh the direction of your life.  Enjoy!

Everything that does not come from faith is sin. Romans 14:23

This statement in the Word of God is not one of condemnation, anxiety or stress.  In reality, it is bathed in grace so that we may discover the life that has been given to us in Jesus the Christ. So what is faith?   Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.  It is not a system or belief, it is the certainty of what God has said is true and his love can be seen in Jesus Christ. It is the gift of God through his grace and it is living.  Faith therefore can see and hear.  I like to think of it this way, that grace is the river and faith is the channel along which the beauty of grace flows down to renew our souls.  Being free from condemnation lets us have thoughts and emotions that are relaxed, experiencing joy and gladness.  Today may you experience the life called faith by the grace of our Lord.  May your fears, your anxieties and your regrets find no place to express themselves because of the grace and faith of Christ in you.  Enjoy!

 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O LORD, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness. Psalm 130:3,4

 

Sometimes in our life, events take place that affect us in ways that overwhelm our emotions in all the wrong ways.  They can be things we have done to others, things others have done to us, or just great disappointments in relationships or hopes we thought would be outstanding.  In this place, for some reason we seem to have a difficult time with forgiving well.  It is actually in this place that grace takes its stand.  Grace in and through Jesus the Christ removes the heaviness from our broken relationships by giving to us the love of God without any condemnation to us or about us.  In this place there is a freedom that refreshes us right down to the depth of our soul. Today may you enjoy this freedom of forgiveness that is yours through the grace found in Christ.  May all who come in contact with you feel the freedom of your joy of them.  God fully intended that his grace would overwhelm you in all the right ways and joy, kindness and hope along with encouragement would become who you are.  Enjoy!

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.   1 Samuel 16:7

 One of the beautiful things along our journey through life is when we feel something with all our heart, something that touches the very fiber of our being.  The beauty of God's grace is that it takes our belief in the Lord from the academic into a relationship with him that touches the very soul of who we are.  Grace impacts our heart like nothing else can and in this place our emotions become free to express love, kindness and encouragement without the feeling of embarrassment.  Here our marriage, our children and our relationships are refreshed in ways that cause us to praise and give thanks to the Lord.  Today has been given to you as a gift from the Lord, may you enjoy this freedom of his grace.  Let your heart be refreshed and encouraged along this new journey and let him give to you the desires of your heart as you delight yourself in his grace.   Enjoy!

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world.  It  is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace. Colossians 1:6 NLT  

What a beautiful picture of what the salvation that is given in Jesus the Christ looks like.  This is obviously not a religion or a set of standards by which we must prove ourselves to God.  God's good news is his grace that renews thoughts, emotions and desires.  Paul gave a hint of the power of God's grace in a man or woman's life when he wrote to the Galatians.  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  There is no law against these things.  Galatians 5:22,23 NLT.  This salvation which is here called - changed lives - brings freedom that makes new, you and your family.  Today may you choose to enjoy a changed life given to you by the Lord; it will bless your socks off.  There is nothing in all creation that will find fault with this new nature.  So go ahead and live in the freedom that is yours because of Grace.  Enjoy!

Praise the LORD, O my soul and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. Psalm 103:2-4

  Sometimes during all the hurriedness and noise of life we forget the beauty of all the benefits that have been given to us.  When that happens thanksgiving usually leaves the room and in comes a less than stellar attitude to replace it.  Think of the rejoicing we can have over the ability to see, to hear, to feel and how about those taste buds?  How about this beautiful benefit of grace – all our sins are forgiven and there is now no condemnation for those in Jesus Christ.  Living with a heart and attitude of thanksgiving could refresh all our relationships and change the course of our home, our community and our nation.  Today rejoice, delight and praise our Lord for all that you are, all that you have and all that has been forgiven.  Then feel free to do to others what he has done for you.  Enjoy!

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

Along our journey of life we will have times that we wish were not.  Sometimes it is because of attitudes and actions we have taken and other times it is just the results of our world that is in sin and is dying.  In both cases, the words of grace have a great impact on the attitudes and emotions of people.  If our attitudes or actions have been less than gracious, grace allows us the joy and freedom of asking for forgiveness for the goodness of those around us.  Grace brings healing to relationships with pleasant words, tones and attitudes.  Everyone needs a smile and encouragement as to who they are along their journey and grace gives the freedom to make it happen with joy.  Today may you enjoy where you find yourself and allow the grace of our Lord to overwhelm you with pleasant thoughts, words and actions.  Your day will be refreshed and so will those around you.  Your relationships with God and man will be headed in the right direction and you will have the freedom from anxiety and you will be glad. Enjoy!

No one can serve two masters.  For you will hate one and love the other, you will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money.  That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life.  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.   Matthew 6:24,25,27,33  NLT

From the beginning of creation our first parents, Adam and Eve began to reason within themselves that there logic and understanding was better than what God had said.  It was there that the battles began with God and with each other.  Men and Women all over the world are still suffering from this logic and understanding.  Many times we find ourselves much more devoted to what is in our hand than what we know the Lord has said.  It is in this condition that grace can overwhelm us, so that what is in our hand does not own our emotions or our understanding.  Grace gives a great freedom of delighting in our Lord no matter where we may be found.  Today may you know and experience the kindness of his grace, where you will find no worry, no stress, no forms of envy and no tension.  Let his grace bath your heart and mind with the freedom to rejoice right where you are.  Enjoy!

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:16, 17

Over the years of my journey through life I have tried to find the words that would give people some idea of the grace of God through Jesus the Christ. At this point, what I like to say is “that grace is the power of God’s love given in and through Jesus the Christ without any condemnation, shame or guilt.” In this place faith is not a belief system; it is an assurance of the cleansing love of God so that we may live life with the freedom of joy, peace and his blessed pleasure of who we are. In his grace all our values, goals, views of ourselves and others become refreshed and renewed. Today may you be experiencing the goodness of grace and faith through all the details of your life. Let your heart, your soul and your mind find words and tones of praise to the glory of God, for you are dearly loved. In this place your delight will be full and you will discover the strength and blessing God has for you. Enjoy!

 

Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.  For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean.

Hebrews 10:22

Sometimes along our life we feel or have some kind of sense that God is not interested in the details of our lives.  That feeling or sense is real, but it is not telling us the truth.  Here again we have in God's Word a wonderful picture of his grace working in and through our lives.  We are invited to come into his presence with our full emotions and intellect, allowing the faith and grace he has given to express itself before him.  The idea of sincere hearts is the beauty of grace living within us bringing about trust, peace and a refreshed conscience. So here again we are reminded that we now have no condemnation, guilt or shame because of the blood of Christ.  So today, may you enjoy your journey of grace and go right into his presence with the details of your life.  As you do, enjoy the attitude of thanksgiving which will give you emotions that are renewed, refreshed and will let you to rejoice where you are.  Enjoy!