A Picture of God’s Grace
Throughout the year in these devotions, I’ve shared Abraham’s story one chapter at a time, and perhaps you can remember that the recurring theme through all these readings has been God’s promise.
Back in Genesis 12, when we first meet Abraham (then called Abram), God promises him offspring – a son, the first in a line of children that will eventually become as countless as the stars in the sky. And chapter after chapter following that, Abraham and his wife struggle, because the promise doesn’t get fulfilled.
Until chapter 21! Isaac is born, and his birth gives us three pictures that I want to share with you this week. First we see a picture of God’s grace - I love these first words in the passage, which say: “Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.” (Genesis 21:1 NIV11)
The LORD was gracious to Sarah!
Grace that Gives, Not Earns
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a nun in the 1800s, died in 1897 with the words “all is grace” on her lips. What beautiful last words. Perhaps Sarah might have also had this phrase on her mind for the rest of her life. All is grace.
From the beginning to the end, it is grace that defines the life of anybody who is looking to Jesus as their God and friend.
“Grace” is often defined as God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense. God giving us riches we don’t deserve - at His own expense. Sarah finally has the child she and Abraham were promised all those years earlier – not because they had been perfect. Not because they had ticked all the boxes. But because of grace! Because God was gracious and gave them a beautiful gift.
Living with a Grateful Heart
Are you grateful today for the grace of God? For the undeserved love and mercy He has offered you? For the daily blessings He has poured out over you? For the strength and power His Spirit gives, to sustain you through life’s ups and downs?
All is grace. Abraham and Sarah found out that day that all is grace. And your life too is a picture of this – whether you know it or not! Everything in your life is grace. Undeserved blessing.
How differently might you approach your daily life, if you woke up remembering all is grace. How wonderful that God has blessed me in ways I never even deserved.
It might just change everything for you.
