Understanding Grace
The late pastor and Bible scholar Donald Barnhouse perhaps said it best: "Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace."
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Insight for Today
Written by Chuck Swindoll, these encouraging devotional thoughts are published seven days per week.
The Power of Grace
Freedom gives people a "Yes" face. I am confident Jesus had a "Yes" face. I have never seen Him, but I've determined from what I've read about Him that this was true.
Claiming the Package
Read Galatians 6:1
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. (Galatians 6:1)
Heroes
Read Hebrews 11:16
Like silent shadows, the heroes of the faith pass beside us, pointing us toward the upward way, whispering words of courage.
The memory of all those models of righteousness now gone from view puts needed steel in our spirit, prompting us to press forward, always forward.
The legacy of their powerful presence and penetrating pages adds depth to our otherwise superficial existence.
Because their convictions live on in words that challenge today's shallow thinking, we do not—we dare not—remain the same.
Ragged Rocks of Adversity
Read Job 1–2, 42
Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.
You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’
I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” (Job 42:1–6)
Intrusions
Read Romans 3
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (Romans 3:23–24)
Externals versus Internals
Read Colossians 3:12–14; James 5:11
We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. (James 5:11)
Time to Toughen Up
Read 2 Corinthians 11-13
There are 1,130 frostbitten miles, mountain ranges, blizzards, hungry beasts, and frozen seas between Anchorage and Nome. This awful trek is the scene of the ultimate endurance test known as the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, where 12 huskies pull a sled and its driver through the most gruelling, inhuman conditions one can fathom. One frequent champion was the late Susan Butcher, whose tough-minded fixation on winning earned her the nickname Ayatollah Butcher.
From Analysis to Action
Read Deuteronomy 31
Leaders must go beyond analysis to action. One cannot lead without energy, motion, risk. Leaders are pathfinders, road makers, action takers.
Cowardice, to put it bluntly, is an ungodly trait. God is not passive in the face of evil, nor is He indecisive.
The Psalms are full of powerful lyrics that give us a clear portrait of the Lord God. Never is He portrayed as a mild-mannered, passive Deity, hoping and waiting for things to happen. Always He is aggressively engaged in an all-out war against injustice and inequity.
A Surprising Answer to Prayer
Read Psalm 91
Many years ago, one of my mentors told me a story I have never forgotten. A missionary was home on furlough, travelling by car from church to church. Late one rainy evening, facing a long and lonely all-night journey, he asked the Lord to help him stay awake and make it safely to the next place he would minister.
