TODAY IS…

a great day to realize that grace is amazing!

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.’”  Luke 1:30 NASB

Grace is God bestowing favor upon a sinful humanity.

We cannot earn it, He gives it freely. We can thank Him for it, in fact, we should do so. We can ask for it, and we will receive it, but sometimes He picks people to bestow His grace upon, as was the case with the choice of Mary as the mother of the Messiah.

It would be years before the enormity of that honor would become evident. At first, Mary had much to endure: those around her would reject and ridicule her; her fiancée would come to the brink of leaving her in disgrace; and the child she gave birth to would grow up to be rejected by many and, ultimately, be murdered by those who did not believe His message.

But in the end, through her Son would come salvation for the world. Through her pain would come the one who could help the world ease its pain. Through the grace God bestowed upon Mary, the entire world was given hope.

One of the world’s most enduring and recognizable spiritual songs is “Amazing Grace.”

It is a beautiful song and was written by John Newton who used to be a captain on brutal slave ships. Newton not only found favor with God, he thanked Him by writing one of the most recorded pieces of music in history. He also encouraged William Wilberforce, as a member of the English House of Commons, to fight to end the slave trade in England.

Maybe our individual purpose in this life is not as remarkable as that of the mother of Christ or the man who gave us beautiful music. But God’s grace is available to us all, and today is a great day to realize just how amazing His grace can be.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson