Daily Devotional

This past week I have been reflecting on God’s grace.  I am realizing in a deeper way how God’s unmerited favor not only brought me to Christ but also is in the process of changing my life to be more like Christ.  It is amazing to realize that the Father’s ultimate goal for His children is that we should be “to the praise of the glory of His grace.”  Our lives have been designed to bring Him glory both now and forever.  It is the Father’s eternal plan to graciously bless us spiritually beyond anything we can imagine or think.  He will point to us in the future as the examples of the incredible wealth of His grace.

Not only are we “to the praise of the glory of His grace,” but God also “freely bestowed” His blessing on our lives.   He will continue to bless us through eternity.  The phrase “freely bestowed” means to be “highly favored.”  It is a word that derives from the word “grace.”  This verb form is used only one other time in the New Testament and that was when the angel came to Mary to announce that she would give birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:28).  Mary was chosen out of all the women of Israel for this privilege.  It was the highest honor that could be given to any woman in Israel.  In the same way, we as the sons and daughters of God are “highly favored” by the Father.  We are given spiritual blessings that have been given to no other group of believers in all history.  What Christ has provided for us is far superior to what those living in the Old Testament ever possessed or experienced.  We have the very life of God living in us and we have been placed in Christ.  We are truly a very special people to God and have rights and privileges that are unparalleled in God’s redemptive plan.

As a result, we are heirs and possessors of all of this because we are in the “Beloved One.”  The term “Beloved” means the “One He loves.”  It stresses the manifestation of God’s love to His Son.  Since we are in His Son, the Father has the same love for us.  What an incredible position we have in Christ.
 
What does this mean to us today?

• Our value and worth are based on who we are in Christ.…If we are not seeing ourselves in this light, it is time for us to change the way we think.

      …We need to allow these truths from God’s Word to change our very lives.

• Our life is to be lived to bring glory to the Lord. 

      …Let us live so that others see Christ in us.
      …Let us live with Christ’s life flowing through us.

• Our life should be lived as an expression back to God of our praise and worship of Him for all that He has done for us.

Prayer:  Father, thank you for the special relationship we have with You as Your sons and daughters.  Help us Lord to live each day considering who we are in You.  May we choose to focus today on Your blessings in our lives and our wonderful relationship with You.  Amen

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation