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 all 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.  When that happens 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, to feel and express love and compassion.  God’s grace has been given in Jesus Christ so that we receive forgiveness for all our sins. Think of this, 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, our churches and our nation.  Today delight in his grace for all that you are, all that you have and all that has been forgiven. Open your heart and your mouth, lift up your hands and praise your Lord!  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 important. 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. From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 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 God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  Romans 5:8 NLT

 

Sometimes don’t we all wonder what love is really like?  Are we loved all the time, even when we don’t seem to find ourselves in a good mood?  What is love anyway?  Well, God’s love is obviously different than our love.  For his love is not founded upon our success or our moods. His love is what he is and therefore he has found a way to pour out his love upon us through his grace.  But God showed his great love for 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. 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 you by sending Christ to die for you while you were still a sinner.  Enjoy!

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.  But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.  Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.  Galatians 5:13 NLT

 

We are a nation about freedom.  Yet as a nation we seem to be loosing our freedom and becoming enslaved to ourselves, which is our own sinful nature.  It isn't just alcohol, drugs, food and sex, but also violence in attitude and actions along with all forms of greed.  What is ironic is the more someone asserts his or her self-centered freedom, the more he or she becomes enslaved to sin.  But there is a prescription for freedom by the grace of God.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36.  This freedom of grace is not a belief system, it is a life that is called a new creation.  Here the root of addiction is replaced with a love for God, a love for yourself and a love for all who you meet.  On this new day may you enjoy what God has given in and through Jesus the Christ.  May your day be free so that your old habits and addiction are no longer who you are.  Your freedom in Christ will bless you and everyone around you.  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 grace 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 through the Holy Spirit, he generously poured out his Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, WOW!  Does that not sound like a brand new restart? Today rejoice in his grace and experience a 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 can experience the joy of his grace and mercy that brings about a new life.  His kindness and love are yours now and forever. 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 because where you are is not where you want to be?  One of the first results of God's grace being received is the joy for a new nature, in which only the Lord can provide. Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation.  For God's grace does not just forgive our sins it begins the creation of 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 creates a clean heart with the result of a life without guilt. Today let yourself enjoy the life of his grace to create a clean heart within you. What will come next is overwhelming – Renew a loyal spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.  That kind of prayer will be anwered!!! Enjoy!

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 NLT Our sin nature is always in a wrestling match in what God says is the truth. This is the truth – The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God. 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. When the gift of God’s grace is received and penetrates the heart, a new nature begins and it feels like being cleansed. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Grace lets you know who Jesus the Christ is and then experience the emotions and attitudes of being cleansed from our sins. Today may his grace give you the desire to celebrate this verse as the truth that set you free. 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. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. 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, our thinking becomes transformed.  The wisdom from above is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.  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.  This is a glimpse into what is called eternal life 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!

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 magnificent. Although the creation is here and quite visible many cannot believe in the God who created all it. 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 see. Yet in the midst of all this kind of thinking, 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. You know when I sit down or stand up. In grace we may feel blessed in knowing the Lord is aware of everything going on in our lives, and because of his grace in Jesus the Christ no thought of condemnation or guilt.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. 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. His knowledge of all that you are or are doing is meant for you to Enjoy!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV

 

Isn’t it amazing that God describes his Scripture, His Word as his breath.  Remember the impact of his breath on Adam?  God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.  

Genesis 2:7.When the grace of God in Jesus the Christ penetrates the heart of a man or woman, then the Scriptures change from just words into his Breath.  His breath is meant to become our breath and we become a new creation without any condemnation in Jesus Christ.  Only then can we receive teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness from his breath. For without his grace we remain dead in our transgressions (which is our sins) and consumed in our condemnation. Righteousness is deliverance from our guilt and from being mastered by our own sin.  This is the blessing of God’s Grace in his breath - God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV. Learning to live overwhelmed by His grace brings the benefit of his breath in teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness to the very fiber of our being.  Let His Breath become your breath and you will have no regret!  Enjoy!