11.23.16

 
 
Devotional for Wednesday, November 23, 2016
“Be Thankful For His Grace At Work In You”
 
 
grace growing in it
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
Today let us meditate upon the beauty of the grace of our Lord.  I pray that you have been meditating and thinking about the many blessings in your life.   I am speaking of the blessings that money cannot buy…I am speaking of the blessings that only the Lord can give.    I am thankful today as I write this for you that when I pray and ask Him for His grace that I know He is going to pour it out upon me.   Some days I see His grace in different ways but I am amazed at times at His amazing grace and how it works.   God desires that we diligently seek Him for His grace, and we therefore  continue to grow in  it.  Seeking God’s grace, wisdom, and knowledge is all a part of tending to keeping our hearts that we grow strong in Him.  Let us look at how the beauty of a garden and how things grow in it also illustrates spiritual principals.
 
We are presently in the beauty of the season of fall, and winter is right around the corner.  We no longer have to concern ourselves with weeds interfering with our pursuit of a beautiful, thriving flower garden for our gardens will now be dormant for many months.   I love my gardens, but I must admit they are a lot of work.   It always amazes me how weeds just grow. They need no help at all. They will thrive, take over and eventually choke the life out of our beautiful flowers.
 
It is interesting how some things just grow all by themselves. I have to laugh when I hear someone say to a child, “You are growing like a weed!!!!” Funny expression, yet true. A child growing up is a good and positive thing yet there are certain things like weeds you wished would not grow so fast!
 
There is a very negative side to this though.   In life there are many things if left to themselves  will grow and thrive without any help at all.   Our negligence alone is all these negative things need to make them begin to take root in our hearts and minds.  Think about the sin of bitterness, hate and unforgiveness.  These things can grow and take root and ultimately weaken and destroy one’s soul.   God desires that we tend to the garden of our hearts that we grow deep and strong in His ways that we can glorify Him.
 
2 Peter 3:18

“Be careful that you do not fall from your

strong faith. But grow in the grace and

knowledge of our Lord and

Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him,

now and forever! Amen.”

 
We must purpose to feed on His Word that we remain strong in our faith that we not fall from it.     We must look to Him each day, and receive His grace and live by it.   How silly it would be if we ate a good dinner this evening, and think we could survive off of that meal for the rest of the year. No, we would become weak. Our body would become depleted in it’s much needed nutrition that we need for strength to live. As we ponder that thought let us also be diligent to ask Him for His grace and live by it each and every day.    Let us purpose to thank Him for His grace and knowledge, and grow in it.   
 
Today let us look upward as we pray and thank Him for the grace He offers us to live by.   Let us thank Him that He causes His grace to flow through us that we do not have to depend on our own ability but rather live by His!  Praise Him for His wonderful blessing of grace!!