Devotions with Pastor Delinda

A picture of grace

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ... Ephesians 2:1-22


I am not sure I’ll ever completely comprehend Gods Grace. But he gave me a small picture of it the other day through my kids (here I go again). My oldest (3 years old) got upset at my youngest (1 year old) the other day and slapped him, kinda hard, over a toy (when will that fight end?!) We don’t allow hitting, so I had my oldest sit in time out. As the oldest was sitting there my youngest slowly walked over and sat beside him, silently, he cocked his head and looked at him sweetly, not in the “haha you’re in trouble way” that I totally would have done when I was little. He was giving his big brother a sweet, I’m here for you, I still love you look. As I’m fumbling to get my phone out to take a picture of this sweet brother moment that I’m melting over, my youngest then climbed up on his brothers lap and gave him a hug. I caught that one on camera! All I could think was “now that’s grace”.

Receiving a deep love when we don’t deserve it. Forgiveness at the ready. Wide open arms.

This is only a snapshot and doesn’t even come close to the measure of Gods Grace. We’rehuman, and my boys don’t always react to each other in this way, typically it’s you hit me I hit you back, you’ll get what you deserve in the measure you gave it to me.

How different would our world be if we would extend to one another even an ounce of the grace God gives to us. We get do over after do over, forgiveness on top of forgiveness, mistake after mistake from him.

Our world today reminds me of the parable Jesus told about the servant. His master forgave a huge debt and he turned right around and required imprisonment for what another owed him, forgetting the grace he was given.

What are we giving our fellow man? What are we requiring of those who owe us a “debt”? Are we receiving Gods Grace? Are we willing to give it back 70 times 7?
Matthew 18:21-35

Pastor Delinda