Knowing this might not change your circumstances but it can change your attitude and actions. Because of God’s grace “..all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose“(Rom. 8:28). It is no wonder that we call it “amazing”! It is more than adequate for every need and available to whosoever will receive it. Through grace we can deal with every trial, decline every temptation, defeat every enemy, do all things, depend on every promise, defend against pride, deepen our relationship with Christ and delight in every day.

I can’t tell you how many tImes I’ve heard someone say, “I hate waiting!”. Actually I’ve said it myself numerous times, and I wasn’t lying. I hate stoplights, lines, appointments, and things that keep me from my plans. I’m not proud of my impatience—just telling it like it is. Although I have to confess that I ought to be more mature, I need to be honest about this. Too many times I’m like the fellow who prayed, “Lord give me patience, right now”. But when we wait on the Lord it is always worth the wait– the time is never wasted. James Smith wrote:

“For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.”–1 Corinthians 15:9-11

We make mistakes, and participate in ungodly activities. We fall into sin, veer away from God’s path, and sometimes forget God’s commands. Yet God has provided His undeserved favor for us. He offers us grace even when we sin.

Some people enter Christianity thinking it’s a “cure-all” for temptation and sin, but the truth is that once someone is saved, the devil targets them even more with temptation! But God has provided His grace to help us when we fall, to give us a clean start.

Imagine grace this way: each morning we start our day with a clean slate. We haven’t sinned, strayed from God, or gotten into any trouble yet. But each time we do sin, our slate is dirtied. A little attitude here, some rebellion there, and our slate is soon covered in ugly marks. Yet when we repent of our sin, God’s grace comes down like a magic eraser and wipes our slate perfectly clean. He offers us forgiveness and a fresh start despite our failures.

No matter how many times you fall away from God, He will always forgive you. God doesn’t want you to live in sin, so He offers His grace to give you a clean start each time you turn to Him. What a great attribute of God for which you should be thankful.

If it were only up to you to keep a “clean slate,” how would your slate look? None of us are perfect; we all fail to always live like Christ. Yet God extends His grace to us and offers us another chance to live for Him each time we repent of our sin.

Take time right now to thank God for His grace. If you need your slate cleaned, repent of your sin and seek God’s grace. Don’t ever take for granted the fact that God gives you a new start whenever you need it.(Paul Chappell)

D. L.Moody said, “What makes Heaven attractive for us?”, then he added:

It won’t be the pearly gates!

It won’t be the streets paved with transparent gold!

These would not satisfy us! If these were all — we would not want to stay in Heaven forever.

I heard the other day, of a little girl whose mother was very sick. While she was sick, one of the neighbors took the child away to stay with her, until the mother would be well again. But instead of getting better — the mother died! They thought it best, that they should not tell the child, nor take her home until the funeral was all over.

So a while afterward, they brought the little girl home. First she went into the sitting-room to find her mother; then she went into the parlor; and then she went from one end of the house to the other — and could not find her mother. At last she said, “Where is my mamma?” And when they told her that her mamma had died, the little girl wanted to go back to the neighbor’s house again. Home had lost its attractions to her — since her mother was no longer there!

Just so — it is not the streets of gold and the pearly gates that are going to make Heaven attractive. It is the being with Jesus, our beloved Redeemer!

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.“–John 14:3
“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:“– Phil. 1:23
“.…so shall we ever be with the Lord.”–1 Thess. 4:17

The body is a constant reminder that I am weak and limited. Regardless of how well I care for my body, age and other things take their toll– and it is different for everybody. Some are born with birth defects that limit what they are able to do. Others develop problems that keeps them from certain things. The bottom line is that we each have to do what we can with what we’ve got. If you can’t do what others can do, or what you used to do, or what you want to do, that doesn’t mean you are inferior. God expects us to do the best we can with what we have and that’s all we should expect from ourselves. We shouldn’t feel guilty because we can’t do something. Keeping this in mind not only puts us at peace with ourselves, it also helps us to not be so judgmental of others. It might appear that they are doing less than they should or could, but they might be doing much more than we would were we in their situation. Since you don’t have all the facts, don’t judge them for not living up to your expectations. And don’t get down on yourself because you can’t reach your self-imposed expectations— God doesn’t expect it and neither should you. Now if I can just practice what I preach!