Grace

by Susan Sampson

Grace!  Is there a sweeter word?  The love and grace that are Jesus, that God has given us in Jesus!  What peace and joy and rest this brings.  I think I loved this lecture so much because I am one who has spent a lifetime of performing, thinking I have to earn God’s love, that I can’t make a mistake, He won’t love me if I’m not perfect, He’ll be mad at me if I make a mistake.  These are all lies.  The Lord’s love is unconditional!  He has freely given us His love and grace.  Oh how I desperately want to RECEIVE His love and grace!

Father in heaven, please open our hearts to you.  We are unable apart from you!  We are desperately in need of your grace!  Help us, by your grace, to enter into your grace each morning.  Compel us by your love.  As we rise each morning, may we have grace to love you because you first loved us.  May it bring us great joy.  Joy we have never known.  Freedom.  May we humbly come to have you minister to us by washing our feet.  Wash us with the water of your Word.  We need your help to be vulnerable.  Forgive our fear, Father.  Help us trust you as little children.  Help our unbelief!  We want to believe, we want to trust, we want to love!  We want Jesus to be our all in all!  Thank you for delivering us from the domain of darkness and transferring us to the kingdom of your beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13)!  Give us the grace we need to run to you, not away from you.  Oh, that we would no longer hide in shame.  Set us free!  Jesus took our shame and guilt upon Himself that day at Calvary – help us believe!  Help us receive!  “In the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me” (Ps. 63:7-8).  Thank you, Father God, for your living Word.  Help us to abide in you, remain in you, believe you and follow you — all for your glory.  In Jesus’ all-powerful name, Amen.

Whatever it takes dear sisters to make Jesus our first love – let this be the cry of our hearts.

“My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away” (Song of Sol. 2:10-13).