The Grace GiverНамуна

Day Seven: A Kingdom of Grace

Like Peter, we love the idea of grace. But we also love rewards for our own efforts. We want to know that we are good enough on our own. We try to perform our way to love. We strive for approval rather than resting in God’s favor given to us through Jesus.

When Peter finally accepted God’s grace, it radically transformed him. From the man who denied Jesus to the man who stood up boldly to the authorities. From the man who cut off the servant’s ear to the man who proclaimed the gospel to the Jews and Gentiles. From the man eager for power and authority to the servant who healed many people in the Lord’s name. And none of it happened by his own strength but through the power of God. 

God’s Kingdom is not built on moral superiority, spiritual maturity, perfection, strength, or our own sufficiency. In fact, it is in our weakness that He displays his strength. He has been telling us the same message throughout time, from Adam to Moses to Peter to now—It is impossible to please God without accepting the grace He pours out through Jesus.

While Peter’s story is a narrative of resistance to grace, it is also a revelation of the life in store for us when we finally surrender our self-sufficiency and accept God’s lavish grace. There will be seasons of waiting and silence, heartbreak, failure, and famine of many kinds, but God is near and nothing is too hard for Him. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet asks, Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand? His glory is too great for us to comprehend.

This Kingdom of Grace is alive and active and wildly powerful. The meek will inherit the earth. Those mourning will shout with joy. The last will be first, and the first will be last. The ultimate display of God’s love and power was that Jesus could have moved heaven and earth to save Himself, but instead He resisted every wrong inclination of man and gave His own life to satisfy God’s wrath toward sin. It is a great mystery to us, but on this we stand: our victory is not dependent on any of our human efforts but on our always faithful, never changing, grace giving God. 

Reflection: Where do you need to surrender in order to accept God’s grace for today?

Prayer: “Lord, thank you for your grace! It is a gift beyond my comprehension. As you have so freely given to me, lead me to also freely give to others. Amen.”

This reading plan is adapted from the message “Did Not Our Hearts Burn” which can be listened to at https://lumo.onl/psta.