Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:11

This verse describes in a beautiful way what faith and grace look like on my part. God is not worshiped where he is not treasured and enjoyed. Praise is an expression of joy and God is glorified by our joy in him. Enjoy today by being overwhelmed by his grace.

…the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song. Zephaniah 3:17

 

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels." Isaiah 61:10

God tells us “I love you regardless of how well you are performing. Sometimes you are uneasy, wondering if you are doing enough to be worthy of My Love. No matter how exemplary your behavior, the answer to that question will always be no. Your performance and My Love are totally different issues, which you need to sort out. I love you with an everlasting Love that flows out from eternity without limits or conditions. I have clothed you in My robe of righteousness, and this is an eternal transaction: Nothing and no one can reverse it. Therefore, your accomplishment as a Christian has no bearing on My Love for you."

The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

The breath of God changed everything for man. It was God's breath that made him a living being. In 2 Timothy 3:16 the Word of God is described this way - All Scripture is God breathed... Enjoy his breath and get as close to it each day as you can. You will find yourself overwhelmed by his grace and I promise - he has never had bad breath.  

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

I really enjoy this encouragement from the Word of God. Mercy is a by-product of grace, for mercy is God's care and provision for those who are in misery and distress. Enjoy the journey and freedom of loving mercy and living humbly (transparent) with God and man. You will be overwhelmed by grace.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the  spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Ephesians 2:1,2

Salvation comes to where we are, not where we would like to be.  An old hymn by Fanny Crosby - down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, feelings lie buried that grace can restore; touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, chords that are broken will vibrate once more.  Enjoy the journey of being overwhelmed by grace.

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9 

All the days of our journey we will have many opportunities for receiving and giving counsel.  Grace not only saves us, but gives us the freedom in our heart to hear, learn and live for the glory of God in the details of our lives.  That freedom of grace builds relationships with others and impacts our families, the work place and our communities.  On this new day, may you enjoy being or receiving the counsel that is as sweet as perfume and incense.  You will enjoy your journey and so will those around you.  A smile will be just who you are. Enjoy

I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.  I will sing your praises among the nations.  For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.  Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 57:9,10

If we start our day with thanksgiving and praise, in the quiet of the morning before the noise of our world gets to us, we will find beauty even in the midst of opportunity (sometimes called difficulties).  It is refreshing to be aware of God's grace and experience it's by-product in and through our lives at the beginning of each new day.  So, on this new day, before everything else starts to get your attention, open your mouth and express your praise to the one who is always faithful and watch what happens.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  I John 3:1

Talk about grace and kindness, God has lavished his love onto us so that we may know, not guess or hope so, but know that we are loved and children of God.  On this new day that has never been before, enjoy your journey as a man or woman of God.  Let his peace, joy, kindness and encouragement have its way in your thinking, actions and emotions.  Bless his name and be overwhelmed by his grace.

Accept one another, then just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7

Our Lord saw who we were and gave us his grace with encouragement. It was not that he agreed with everything we were doing, but that he gave us encouragement covered in grace so that we might be able to take his gift of his life. On this new day may you have the opportunity to accept someone in and through the grace of Christ, which is his love expressed and given without condemnation. You will be refreshed and he will be praised.

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 and we describe it as feeling it with all our heart. This is not an academic statement, it is 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 desires and 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. On this new day that has been given to you as a gift from the Lord, may you enjoy this freedom of his grace. May your heart be refreshed and encouraged along this new journey and may he then give to you the desires of your heart as you delight yourself in his grace. In this place there is no regret or sorrow.