Messages From Heaven: Grace Upon Grace!

Messages From Heaven: Grace Upon Grace!: The movie character Forrest Gump became famous for saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” In i...

Grace Upon Grace!

The movie character Forrest Gump became famous for saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” In its simplicity, that statement is profound in its accuracy. It is true, like a box of chocolates that we open and try the various fillings and flavors to pick a favorite piece; we don’t know what each day of our lives will hold. But as believers in Jesus Christ, we have an assurance that He is with us, and the knowledge that all that is good comes from Him. The Bible says that He opens His hand and satisfies His children with good things (Psalm 104:28).
John 1:16 drives this home with an unusual phrase: “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” When you read that verse the first time, it sounds as though some words are missing.  But the actual Greek phrase is grace “anti” grace. The word anti is a Greek preposition that can have several meanings. The New King James Version translates it for, but most linguists prefer using the word upon. Out of the fullness of His own grace, Jesus gives us grace upon grace, grace on top of grace.
Think of the ocean surf—one wave coming after another in endless succession.  In his commentary on John, F. F. Bruce says that the followers of Christ draw from the ocean of divine fullness grace upon grace—one wave of grace being constantly replaced by a fresh one. “There is no limit to the supply of grace which God has placed at His people’s disposal in Christ,” observes Bruce.
It’s like the clouds of Noah’s day that kept pouring out rain; the granaries in Joseph’s days that held endless reserves of grain; the rock in the wilderness that kept pouring out the water; the cruise of oil in Elijah’s time that kept issuing oil; the cup in Psalm 23 that kept overflowing.
Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates can’t compare with that!
The New International Version simply says:  “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.”
Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
Psalm 68:19 says similarly, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits.”
Shame on us for moping around all day like desolate wanderers in the bleak woods or barren moors. We can’t always be happy, but a rod of joy should run down the backbone of our attitudes. Though life has its share of burdens, God has an endless variety of ways to bless us.
            We’re blessed, for example, with friendly people. Yes, there are plenty of grouches around in just about every setting; but someone is smiling right now not far from you. It might be at the corner market, in the softball bleachers, at a church function, or across the counter at Starbucks. But if you’ll look for a smile, you’ll find one pretty easily. And if you’ll smile yourself (it happens when you tell the corners of your mouth to relax and twist upward), you’ll discover a good many more smiling people.
We’re blessed with natural beauty around us. Lift your eyes from this page and glance out a window. See the clouds or sunshine; or if it’s evening, the moon and stars? The wonder of God’s creation is there for us to consider and appreciate. If there’s a houseplant nearby, take a moment to study its leaves—perhaps you will note for the first time how each one is uniquely designed for a specific purpose. Listen for a bird’s song or look for flowers along the walkways as you go about your day. They were created for you to enjoy.

This is my Father’s world,
 the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
 declare their Maker’s praise.

We also see God’s goodness in His providential alignment of life’s circumstances. How wonderfully He weaves together the good and bad—the sad and glad—into a tapestry of praise. Look back over your life and notice how seemingly bad events have worked for your good.
Let’s savor the moments we are given and thank Him for providing us with all things richly to enjoy.

Messages From Heaven: Who Do You Think You Are?

Messages From Heaven: Who Do You Think You Are?: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of ...

Who Do You Think You Are?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9–10, esv).
If you could use just a few words to describe who you are, what words would you choose?
Some people would say, “I’m my past. My bad choices hang over my life like a dark cloud.” Others would say, “I’m my performance. My parents raised me to think I had to be perfect, and I’m still trying.” Others admit, “I’m my problems,” or “I’m alone,” or “I’m a loser.”

“The Lord wants you! He chose to set his love upon you.”

But God describes you in a whole different way. First Peter 2:9 identifies you as: “a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Do you belong to God? If so, He calls you His own! Will you let that truth bind itself to your heart? Maybe you’ve never truly felt wanted by anyone. Listen: the Lord wants you! He chose to set his love upon you, and apart from that you would not know God. That word “possession” literally means “to make around.” It’s the idea that God enclosed you for himself. He built a little jewelry box and put you in it. This one is mine. It’s an awesome thing to think about.
Now, let this truth filter down into your identity. I know that words fall immensely short of the healing you may need from years of hurt, but let your new perspective begin here. Let this truth silence the message of your past, your performance, your parents, or whatever. You are who God says you are!
The purpose of believing what 1 Peter 2:9 says about you isn’t just to feel better about yourself. The reason follows immediately in the next phrase: “that you may proclaim [his] excellencies.”
Your goal in rejecting those false identities is so you can tell people how awesome God is, not so you can tell people how awesome you are. He’s “called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Live fully in the power of who God himself has declared you to be.
God has changed your identity in His grace so you can proclaim to others the excellencies of His identity. Do it today.
Journal

• How would you describe your identity?
• What false identities do you need to exchange for who God says you are?

Pray
Lord, there’s great security and rich assurance of identity found in 1 Peter 2:9. I belong to You! Will You help me to see myself the way You see me, and to live out of the strength of that reality? I pray that as I rest in my true identity as Your child, You would empower me to proclaim the excellencies of You who called me out of darkness. Thank You for Your marvelous light! Thank You for Your mercy! I pray this in the redeeming name of Jesus, amen.