TODAY IS…

the day to thank God for His gift of grace.

“God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”  Ephesians 2:8 NLT

We cannot earn our salvation.

It comes from God as a gift through His grace. His divine love, mercy, and forgiveness are free. Understanding just how important and precious His grace is to us will help us to understand just how important and precious we are to Him.

To receive this gift of grace we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves. Only God can do that. As Paul teaches us “If you declare with your mouth, ’Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 NIV).

Since God’s grace is a gift, there is no charge for it; there is nothing owed; there is no debt. But we should certainly be grateful for it and give thanks for it. Accepting this gift into our hearts should instill in us a need to share the joy this gift can bring with those around us.

If we have accepted Christ and received God’s gift of grace, we should make ourselves available to God with an attitude of compassion and joy. The desire to share our peace, happiness, and contentment should grow, as should our desire to serve the One who has given us such a priceless gift.

Frequently, many of us find ourselves so caught up in our own existence that we find it difficult to make time for ourselves or for our families, let alone for anyone else. However, just as physical exercise actually increases our energy, service to others in the name of God help us to increase the quality of our own lives.

When we show someone else kindness, love, and compassion, we are thanking God for His gift of grace to us. Helping someone else discover the gift of God’s grace is one of the kindest things we can do for another human being, and for ourselves.

Thank God today for His gift of grace by helping someone else receive it as well.

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