The Grace Of The Gracious LordSpeaker: Dr. D.G.S. Dhinakaran Gist: When you humble yourself and ask the Lord persistently for His Grace and Mercy, He will certainly grant you His grace. He is an unchanging God, who will surely grant you all that you ask. Ask and receive His grace. "You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth." (Psalm 86:15)
"For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17)
"You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day." (1 Kings 3:6)
"He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."(2 Corinthians 12:9)
"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." (Psalm 136:1)
Apart from this, the Psalmist David describes beautifully, the creative manifestations of God's eternal grace, in the whole of Psalm 136.
Friend, God's grace endures forever and ever. How blessed we are to have received His abundant Grace. This Grace which we have received, is truly unique and is a great blessing which many people have not secured. The Holy Scripture clearly describes and enumerates various people of God blessed with His grace.
"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:8)
That is why, Noah's family consisting of eight people entered the Ark during the deluge and 'were saved through water' (1 Peter 3:20). Lot confesses to the Lord's angels, 'Indeed now, your servant has found favour in the sight and you have increased your mercy...' (Genesis 19:19). Prophet Moses also 'found favour in God's sight' (Numbers 11:15).
If we consider the fact that Moses received the grace of God abundantly and that God performed signs and wonders, displaying mighty power and great terror through him, we will understand 'there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses whom the Lord knew face to face' (Deuteronomy 34:10-12).
The young shepherd, David also received 'great mercy' (grace) in the eyes of the Lord (1 Kings 3:6). Because of that, David became 'a man after My own heart' (Acts 13:22).
In the New Testament, the angel of the Lord, Gabriel met the virgin Mary and said to her, " "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" In the other version of the Bible, we read this greeting of the angel as "Hail Mary, full of Grace" (Luke 1:28). Consequently Mary, full of Grace was blessed with the fortune to bring forth, the holiest Son of God, Jesus (Luke 1:35). Again the great apostle St. Paul, received God's call only 'through His grace' (Galatians 1:15).
He describes crisply how he laboured more abundantly than the others as he had received abundance of Grace:
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."(1 Corinthians 15:10)
"From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." (Galatians 6:17)
Dear friend, let us also persistently ask God, "Lord, You granted Your grace to Noah, Lot, Moses, David, St. Paul and the other saints. Grant the same Grace to us."
"...it (covenant) was accounted to him (Abraham) for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us." (Romans 4:22-24)
Our dear Saviour, who has promised us, "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:14), will certainly grant us His grace as His gift.
Prayer:
Gracious Heavenly Father,
You are an unchanging God. You are gracious and Your mercy endures forever. I claim Your promise that if I ask anything in Your name, You will grant me my plea. Graciously grant me Your Grace and Your enduring mercy. Help me to be worthy of this priceless gift. In Jesus' matchless name, I ask.
Amen. |