I have been studying the topic of grace. Some misunderstand it, while others abuse it. But when the multitudes of religiosity and wrong theology are removed, grace is understood as a beautiful, vital move by our God because He loves us. And when we demonstrate this gift to others, oh, how amazing, sustaining, and refreshing it is! God’s grace is truly unique, as the lyrics of the song “Amazing Grace” penned long ago by John Newton attest.
Two encounters that happened to me which magnified my understanding of grace:
- A hug given by my husband
- The resonating effect to my heart of the lyrics from the song “Hear Me” written by our son Chris
I was in my office writing when my husband called out in delight, “Phyllis, come here!” The tone in which he called out caused me to believe that he wanted to show me something important. When I came to where he was, he met me halfway and said, “I just want to hug you.” My initial response was, “What did I do to deserve this?” He replied, “Nothing. I just wanted to hug you.” And then he prayed a prayer of thanksgiving as we stood there, arms embraced. Instantly, I saw a physical picture of grace. I didn’t earn it. He gave it to me because he loves me. That’s how God is. His gift to us is FREELY given. We don’t deserve it, nor do we earn it! (Ephesians 2:5,8)
Can you hear me calling out Your name?
Like a desert, crying out for rain
In the darkness, searching for the Light
In my blindness, you came and gave me sightI was all alone with a heart of stone, then your word came clear reminding me that you are near…
You tell me that I am enough for You. You don’t see my failures; you make me brand new
Chris Calderon, Logan Myers
When spending time in the presence of God this morning, I went into intercessory prayer. A word of knowledge came to me that caused me to listen to a song my son Chris wrote. His music, “Hear Me,” was selected to be part of the Canyon Worship 2018 LP at Grand Canyon University, where he is a worship arts major. He invited a fellow worship art major-singer-songwriter (Logan Myers) to write the bridge part and sing on it. (She also has a song selected to be part of the LP. Her original is called “My Only Truth”) The above lyrics spoke to my heart so powerfully. Let’s reread them…
As I meditated on the lyrics, I saw another picture of the grace of God. When you find yourself in a dark place, with a heart of stone, and you think the point of no return is upon you, God shows up. It starts with a cry – no matter how small – that somehow penetrates that calloused heart. He hears and delights in welcoming you back into the throws of His arms. He loves you; He loves me. How do I know this? He gave us a gift called Grace. What is the name of this grace gift? Jesus! There is nothing one can do to earn, merit, or deserve it. The response to His gift? Believe. Just believe. It is through believing (in Jesus) that I am changed. (And yes, thinking is all wrapped up in repentance. Instead, repentance is the expression of believing. That’s a message for another time!)
My response to His grace gift makes me “brand new,” declaring I am changed. It is like the hug my husband gave me and the words he spoke to me, which set me on a path of believing something incredible about my husband, which, in effect, changed me.
#hearmechriscalderon #chriscalderon #loganmyers #canyonworship2018 #repentance, #grace #mindofChrist #worshiparts
Check out the CanyonWorship 2018 LP here:
https://goo.gl/tTnYxH
Turn from wrong thinking, which manifests in destructive behavior, and turn to the One who has already healed you through the Person that is our gift – Jesus!