March 28
Merciful Father, Hallowed be Thou Name. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done here on earth. Thank You for Your love that has no end. Am so grateful to You for Your kindness. You are indeed God. All power, glory and honour be ascribe to You alone, Who is Worthy of our praise.
Beloved, another weekend is here and we are grateful to the Almighty, Who enable us to see the end of this week. Yesterday, we considered “faith” as a pivot to achieving destiny, vision and dreams. However, today we will be considering what “grace” does for you and I and what we will look like outside God’s grace upon our lives.
We cannot afford life outside grace, so humble yourself and receive from your Maker “grace” to do excel.
“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2Timothy 2:1
Christ has grace without measure in Himself, but He hath not retained it for Himself. As the reservoir empties itself into the pipes, so hath Christ emptied out His grace for His people. “Of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” He seems only to have in order to dispense to us.
He stands like the fountain, always flowing, but only running in order to supply the empty pitchers and the thirsty lips which draw nigh unto it. Like a tree, He bears sweet fruit, not to hang on boughs, but to be gathered by those who need. Grace, whether its work be to pardon, to cleanse, to preserve, to strengthen, to enlighten, to quicken, or to restore, is ever to be had from Him freely and without price; nor is there one form of the work of grace which He has not bestowed upon His people.
As the blood of the body, though flowing from the heart, belongs equally to every member, so the influences of grace are the inheritance of every saint united to the Lamb; and herein there is a sweet communion between Christ and His Church, inasmuch as they both receive the same grace. Christ is the head upon which the oil is first poured; but the same oil runs to the very skirts of the garments, so that the meanest saint has an unction of the same costly moisture as that which fell upon the head.
This is true communion when the sap of grace flows from the stem to the branch, and when it is perceived that the stem itself is sustained by the very nourishment which feeds the branch. As we day by day receive grace from Jesus, and more constantly recognize it as coming from Him, we shall behold Him in communion with us, and enjoy the felicity of communion with Him.
Let us make daily use of our riches, and ever repair to Him as to our own Lord in covenant, taking from Him the supply of all we need with as much boldness as men take money from their own purse. When we have boldness attached to us, fear runs away from us. Fear is counterproductive, it is neither the twin of FAITH nor GRACE, so be wise. Many of us are plagued by a malaise deep within our soul:
Today, Many Of Us Are Plagued By A Malaise Deep Within Our Soul
Beneath the surface of our lives there lurks a subliminal sense of disquiet… a despondency; perhaps a lingering struggle with depression… even to the point of despair. Let me suggest four reasons as to why:
1. Primal Wounds of the Heart
Most of us enter adult life deeply wounded. So unless and until we assume responsibility for the past, and allow Jesus the Healer to bind up our wounds, thereby giving us the grace to forgive, forget, and move beyond the past, we will continue on as spiritual and emotional cripples.
“Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.“ (Job 5:17, 18)
2. Cynicism of the Mind
Secretly, many of us live in two worlds. Intellectually we believe the Word of God to be true. However, when Jesus calls us to steps of faith demanding vulnerability, we often respond with, “I can‘t,“ or “I won‘t.“ And by our refusal, we demonstrate our spiritual cynicism that God really cannot be trusted.
“But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him.“ (Hebrews 10:38 Phillips)
3. Paralysis of the Will
Many of us choose to continue to be victimized by our past, our circumstances, and our fears. Our motto is “I can‘t help it,“ or “I can‘t do it.“ So the freedom, the joy, and the victory available to us in Christ remain a distant illusion that recedes with each passing day.
“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.“ (Romans 8:37)
4. Overcrowding of the Soul
We are exposed to too much noise, activity, information, and pressure. Too little time is taken for meditation, rest, contemplation and prayer. So the jostling encountered by today’s typical urban professional is usually unkind to the inner life of the soul.
“And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.“ (Isaiah 32:17)
The enemy’s objective, to “steal, kill, and destroy“ (John 10:10) the abundant life of Christ within us, is being realized, if we fail to address these critical areas of life. Ultimately, the choice is ours.
And very sure you will make a wise choice.
Am signing off now, see you next week by His grace.
Remain blessed in the Lord.
Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu
