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 NIV

Sometimes during the hurriedness of our days we forget the magnificence of all the benefits of God’s grace that have been given to us. Praise the LORD, O my soul and forget not all his benefits.  If we forget all His benefits, graciousness usually leaves our emotions and in comes a less than stellar attitude to replace it.  Think of the rejoicing we can have over our ability just to see, to hear and to feel His benefits!!!  God’s grace has been given in Jesus the Christ so that we may receive forgiveness, be redeemded and crown us with love and compassion. Think of this, that because of his grace there is now no condemnation for those in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1) .  Living with a heart and attitude of love and compassion could refresh all our relationships and change the direction of our home, our community and our nation.  Today delight in his grace 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!

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16, 17 NLT

In all the busyness of life may we all remember that God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus the Christ.  Even the thought of being loved gives emotions of being valued and in some sense importance. Yet even here our sin nature brings heartache, complaining and at times a desire for something else.  We see it all through our daily life, with anger, immorality, divorce and unpleasant words of all kinds.  Living in God’s grace changes all things, for it is God’s unfailing love that is given through Jesus Christ.   When we receive His love through his grace, a new nature begins within us and it is called eternal.  Today celebrate, give thanks for his unfailing love and faithfulness for you. Allow yourself to be a gracious blessing to others. In fact, his grace will give you emotions of joy, kindness and encouragement for yourself, which will naturally affect others in a very good way. Enjoy!

But - "When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.  He generously poured out his Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior." 

Titus 3:4 - 6. NLT

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, which resulted in – He washed away our sins.  Think of his mercy that is revealed here with words such as - his kindness, his love, he washed away our sins, he gave us a new birth and a new life, he generously poured out his Spirit upon us, WOW!  Does that not sound like a brand new restart? Today rejoice in living in the new life of his love, kindness and mercy.  Grace comes as a gift, with hope and joy which are always renewing.  This day is a good day for expressions of thanksgiving and praise, so let it happen through your life and mouth.  By your example, everyone around you will experience the power of his grace and mercy that brings about a new life.  His kindness and love are yours forever. Enjoy!

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  Romans 5:8 NLT

Sometimes we discover that those we would hope could find their greatest joy in who we are and what we are trying to do, have emotions and actions towards us that have nothing to do with what we might hope is love. But even in emotional disappointment God’s grace may overwhelm us. You see that we were once in a condition where we did not care about him (God) yet he showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. For his love is given through his grace, it is given without ridicule, embarrassment or shame.  Today enjoy being his kindness, his passion and his joy to your family, your friends and anyone you meet along the way.  You may be the visible and emotional expression of the grace and love of God.  So go ahead and enjoy who you are because of his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  Enjoy!

This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.  Isaiah 44:24

Sometimes things happen in our lives that in reality, flat out overwhelm us.  It may be choices we have made that we wish we would have never made.  While in this condition grace can awaken our hearts to what the LORD says. This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb.  Grace brings the meaning of your Redeemer to life which changes what we love and therefore our choices become, shall we say, a lot more enjoyable.  Today enjoy the power of his grace in your life.    Grace will let you celebrate your life and experience the blessing of being renewed in the love of your Redeemer.  There is nothing in your past that he cannot transform for his glory and your blessing.  People around you will experience the beauty and newness of his life through you on this day.  Enjoy!

Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.  Psalm 51:10, 12 NLT

Have you ever been in a place in your life where you wish you could start over?  One of the first results of God's grace being received is the desire for a new nature, in which only the Lord can provide. Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit with me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation.  For God's grace does not just forgive our sins it begins the creation on a new nature that has its foundation in the joy of God’s salvation.  This is not being religious at all, for God’s grace renews our thinking and emotions with the result of a life without guilt, shame or regret. Today allow yourself the freedom of his grace to create a clean heart within you, with expressions of thanksgiving.  Because of his grace may your heart desire to say – make me willing to obey you!  Enjoy!

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right had of the Majesty in heaven.  Hebrews 1:3 NIV

Our sin nature is always in a wrestling match in what God says is the truth.  What is amazing about the grace of God is that it changes us from wrestling with the truth to knowing and living in the truth. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.  Grace brings about a joy in the depth of our soul which produces a heart of thanksgiving to God that is absolutely overwhelming.  Grace lets you know who Jesus the Christ is and then experience the impact of him providing purification for our sins. Today may his grace give you the desire to celebrate this verse as the truth that set you free.  Enjoy!

Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.  Proverbs 20:11 NLT

What we call character is what either builds or destroys relationships.  Character is more than just a family name; it is the foundation for building life in a family, a neighborhood, a community or a nation.  For some it can be about themselves first, how they feel, what they want or how they see things.  In this place no one is really happy and wounded emotions can take individuals down roads of adultery, divorce, drunkenness, and survival modes of every kind.  Here families are wounded and broken, businesses fail and communities are in disarray.  God’s grace given in Jesus Christ is much more than saving someone so that they may go to heaven someday.  Grace brings a new character which is called eternal life. Grace has no jealousy, no bitterness, no regret and no unforgiveness.  It is described as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in Galatians 5:22, 23 NLT. Today let yourself enjoy the life given to you through Jesus the Christ.  His character is now yours, right now in the place where you find yourself.  Your freedom is at hand, his blessing is now yours and you can be the blessing of God to your family, your business, your neighborhood and your community.  Today is a good day to live in the salvation of your character. Enjoy!

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.  You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.  Psalm 139:1-4 NLT

In our culture many find that their thought of God is less than awesome or magnificent. Although the creation is here and quite visible they cannot believe in the God who created it all. They come to their own conclusion that the creation created itself.  Yet in Romans 1:20 - For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen. Yet in the midst of all this the power of God’s grace in Jesus Christ can begin the creation of a new heart and mind. O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. In grace we may feel blessed in knowing the Lord is aware of everything going on in our lives Today rejoice in your thoughts about what the Lord knows about you and allow yourself to rest, knowing he is in all the details of your life.  You will experience the thoughts and emotions of his grace, all of which come with no stress or regret.  Enjoy!

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure.  It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.  It is full of mercy and good deeds.  It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.  James 3:17 NLT

What is described here is the attitude that grace brings to a man or woman who has actually received God’s gift of grace.  This gives some definition to Philippians 2:5 NIV   Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.  When God’s grace touches the human soul, thinking becomes transformed.  The wisdom from above is first of all pure.  That means – unadulterated, uncontaminated, clean and wholesome. With that in place there is no condemnation towards yourself or others.  Now that is a new creation in Jesus the Christ.  The emotions that follow the wisdom from above – peace loving, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, good deeds, shows no favoritism and is always sincere.  This is a glimpse into what is called eternal life and what it looks like right where we live.  Today, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 NIV. Enjoy!