Shouts of GraceЗагвар

Hourly Grace in Small Things

How would you like to have a day in which, for a few moments, you are unreasonably optimistic and radically joyful? So much so that your quiet inner happiness bubbles up and overflows with rejoicing so that whoever is around you is startled by your exuberant outburst? “Of course we can do that! It will be great fun! Let’s start planning now.”

How would you like to go from wondering if you are doing any good for those you have relationships with and feeling bad for some of the mean things you have said and done to them, to suddenly receiving a specific idea that you can say something encouraging to someone else or do a little thing that will help them? And then you feel the ability to do it rising in you, so you drop your self-defenses and sincerely say it or do it. You see that person’s face change from frown to smile, and it brings you the confidence that you have made a difference.

Or how about a time later today when you will recognize that you are beginning to feel down and depressed by some difficult circumstance? The fog lifts enough for you to suddenly see that you are about to spiral down through self-pity into a victim slump. You identify it as the smell of hell, and something rises within you to laugh out loud, and it feels so good to declare, “Hell, no! Not today, Devil!” A praise chorus you sang last Sunday in church then comes to mind, and you start singing out loud about the goodness of God.

And what if uplifting moments like these, especially in relationships, are not just rare and occasional accidents, but your daily bread, so that hope, faith, joy, and confidence become your characteristic and predictable way of life? Indeed, this is how God wants you to live every day!

Grace isn’t just the power of God occasionally needed to finish a great task when we run out of strength. It’s the every-day, hour-by-hour uplifts we need to replace the doldrums and ho-hums of life with the insights and energy that supply the joy and confidence that Holy Spirit holds for us and is waiting for us to access. Wow! Isn’t God’s love for us amazing?!

The main verb in the daily scripture literally means "to turn here and there" but is used to mean "conducting or behaving yourself" or simply, "to live." But think about it. To live means to make hundreds of little decisions daily. How can we know whether to turn “here or there” each time? By grace. How can we recognize when we are caught in carnal cunning and need to get out of that trap? By grace. How can we even know what our options are, situation after situation, as King's kids? By the grace of God.

So, what’s the point? Rely on the grace of God moment by moment today. Believe for it, expect to be surprised by it often, turn “here” each time, and have fun jumping in and splashing around in the pool of power that these wonderful drops of grace provide. Joy and confidence will be your reward.You may even surprise yourself with exuberant rejoicing.

- Pastor Steve Kobernik

Faith Declarations

Today by God’s grace, I choose to be unreasonably optimistic and radically joyful.

Today by God’s grace, I will recognize the smell of hell, and say, “Hell, no!”

Today by God’s grace, I will make decision after decision to please Him.

Today I will choose to jump into and splash around in the pool of grace with rejoicing and confidence.

Journal Directions

First ask God these questions. Then write down the thoughts that He gives you. They will usually be the quick and simple ideas, not the complex or confusing ones that come if you get out of the pool of grace by trying to look smart.

1. In the last 24 hours, when did You drop some grace on me that I missed? And what can I learn from that?
2. How can I keep myself paying attention so I don’t miss the droplets of grace that You already have planned for me in the next 24 hours?
3. Whom would you like me to encourage today by sharing how they can rely on grace in small things, and enjoy the joy and confidence that brings?