Thankful Thursday

Ephesians 2:8 (King James Version)

8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Lest any man should boast.

I have a desire to relect on this Bible verse. It is one I have remembered since I was a young girl. At the time, it meant little to me. I couldn't comprehend its power. But as I grew older, I came to view this verse as a lifeline for all of us. We try every day to do what is right. We have faith, we love our spouses, we try to keep His commandments, we give to the needy and the poor, we pray, we raise our children in His word, and we love our fellow man. God wants us to do these things. But it is not enough to make God love us. He loves us anyway. Jesus shed his blood so that we may have GRACE. We have God's unconditional love as long as we are willing to accept it and accept Him. It is not the great and noble causes we fight for. It is not how many people we help. It isn't even keeping his commandments. It is God's GRACE. Without it, none of us would measure to God's standards. With it, we are all forgiven, we are all loved, and the price for our sins has been paid. It is like a mother who loves her child no matter what he does, but far more powerful. I am thankful for this.

Lord, Thank you for the gift of GRACE. Thank you for your almighty love, acceptance. We want to praise you and lift your name in joy. We want to be shining examples of Your love and GRACE so that others might find this same gift. Thank you for Jesus Christ and Your Holy Spirit which guides us each day. In Your Son's Precious Name I pray. Amen.