Touched by Grace

When I was a little girl, I knew God was amazing. As I looked at marvels like the myriad colors and shapes of the Grand Canyon or the beautiful intricacies of nature (such as each snowflake having a unique pattern) I was touched and knew that God must be wonderful to design and create these things. Most people think puppies and kittens are cute, and most people are touched by the beauty of vibrant orange and pink sunsets laced with iridescent gold-rimmed clouds. I think God uses creation to draw us to Him as He reaches into our souls and touches us.

But I wanted to know how these things happened. I thought science was the discovery of how God made things work—for example, how He keeps the planets rotating and revolving yet staying in place, or how spring returns every year bringing gorgeous flowers, green grass, and baby lambs. That desire to know how things were created never went away as I progressed into adulthood. But God knew that the answers I needed were found in the who, not the how. Instead of seeing the results of His work and knowing about Him, I needed to have a relationship with Him. I didn’t realize that I could know Him personally, and be able to talk to Him and hear His voice.

The Bible says, “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you’” (Jer. 31:3 NKJV). He also says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8 NKJV). I didn’t realize I was a sinner. I wasn’t mean to people. I didn’t steal. I tried to help and be kind to people. My empathetic heart wanted the starving children in Africa to have enough food. I was a good person but still had sin. Then grace came to me in a way I understood, and it changed my life forever.

As believers we have a covenant of grace through faith. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9 NKJV). A covenant is a binding agreement between two parties. Grace is where favor gives us access to someone else’s (God’s) power. It isn’t something we deserve or earn. God’s grace means that God willingly entered into a ovenant through the Blood of Jesus (His Son), and gave us everything He has in exchange for everything we have. His grace took our sin and gave us His righteousness. His grace took our sickness and gave us health. His grace took our poverty and meets all our needs according to His riches in glory (Phil. 4:19).

I now know the who. His Name is Jesus. The Bible says in Titus 3:4-7 that the kindness and love of God our Savior was poured out to us through Jesus Christ, and that having been justified by His grace that we become heirs of the hope of eternal life. I know the why because He loves us. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (NKJV). And I know the how. The Bible explains:

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23 NKJV).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 6:23 NKJV).

 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation (Rom. 10:9-10 NKJV).

The God that created you and made the heaven and the earth, wants you to be a part of His family as His daughter. He loves you and wants you to know Him, His love, His peace, and His grace.

The when is now. If that is the desire of your heart, pray this prayer out loud:

Father God, thank You for loving me. Thank You for Your grace that enabled me to hear about Jesus and how He died to take the punishment for my sin. I believe He lived a sinless life and His Blood was shed to pay for my sins. I believe that His beaten body bore all my disease and sorrow so that I can be healed. I ask Jesus to be My Lord and Savior. I thank You that my sins are now forgiven. I ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit so He can teach me about You and lead me in all my decisions. I want to live for You and know You intimately. In Jesus’ Name, I pray.