Grace Be With You

Monday, ‎October ‎31, ‎2022

Good Morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Psalm 103:10-12

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Memory verse: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Today's reading: JEREMIAH 22-23 TITUS 1

Grace Be With You

It never ceases to amaze. The things that seem to 'just simply get done'. These things are done in obedience to our Lord God by those whose names will not be written in history. These quiet folks live lives that sing quietly the grace of God to any who will notice. They sing but are unsung.

In 2 Timothy , chapter 4, the last of Paul's recorded writings to Timothy, Paul writes:

19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the family of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth. And I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. 21 Try as hard as you can to come to me before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you. Also Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers in Christ greet you.

There are nine names Paul mentions for Timothy to greet. To my knowledge, these names are not known anywhere else in history. They are folks Paul loved and trusted in God's family in Christ.

Most of us are like this. Folks who work and serve but whose names are not found in publications.

Paul ended this letter to Timothy with a benediction( a closing with a blessing.)

"22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you."

Paul had spoken of folks who he knew were full of God's spirit and grace-those 'unsung' whose lives sang of God's grace and spirit and I think we must look at this benediction further.

It is a closing with a blessing.

It is the cry of Paul's heart for any who read these words. He knew there would be many who would read or at least hear these words and His heart broke for them/us all to be filled with God's spirit-to really live in His grace.

It is a challenge for us to be filled with God's Spirit by His grace. Paul was saying, "All of us need to be like these folks I have mentioned who are spirit-filled servants of our almighty God even if God is the only one who knows of our obedience.

It is a command for us to make the choice daily-to commit to be God-conscious and grace sharing in the name of Christ Jesus.

The folks who take this benediction seriously are the ones whose quiet song of love and grace wafts among the people in their worlds and blesses many who may not know the one who is singing but ultimately will know the divine source.

"The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you."

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

I confess, I am not full of Your grace because of my own sin. Have mercy on me and lead me in Your ways.

Great God of unconditional, divine love,

In the name of our Lord Jesus,

Amen