Lent 2018
Lent is the 40 days before Easter, not including Sundays. It is a time set a part to give consideration to the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and being tested by satan in the desert before He began his ministry. Even Jesus set Himself apart for a time on several occasions to call on and be strengthen by God as an example to us that in our busy lives. We need focused time with God to live in this lost and broken world.
2-24-18
February 24th
Grace-A Miracle that Never Ceases
Ephesians 2:1-9
Earlier this winter it was about 6 degrees outside and the forecast high for the day was in the low 20’S. When the weather is like this, Margo and I go to a lot of trouble to put bird seed outside for the little critters. We have to drive all the way to town, buy the seed, drive home and then go to the trouble of going outside and scattering it so all the birds can have a shot at their fair share. We do this several times a day, even in the rain.
The other day, I looked out the window and saw dozens of birds furiously eating away at the free meal. I saw cardinals, doves, sparrows, wood peckers, blue jays, and others I could not readily identify. Among these birds, I saw a couple of crows and two squirrels.
Now, the truth is, I do not like crows. They are loud and greedy. Neither do I care for squirrels. They are experts at destroying my outside feeders. A squirrel can tear up a bowling ball in a bucket of grease.
I would be hard-pressed to logically say these creatures deserve this special treatment, especially the crows and squirrels. On more than one occasion, I have asked myself, why do we go to all this trouble and expense?
For some reason I began to think about God’s grace. Grace is hard to explain, hard to believe and sometimes, hard to receive. We use the word a great deal and I tend to think we really don’t understand what it means. We name our daughters grace, we say grace, we name our churches grace.
We do not deserve God’s grace any more than the birds outside deserve free bird seed. Grace is a gift which costs the giver but those receiving it pay nothing. It is given to those who don’t deserve it, barely recognize it and hardly appreciate it.
We need grace even though we don’t deserve it. There is no way on this earth we can earn grace. It is never too late to receive grace. The miracle is we can receive God’s grace simply by accepting it.
I was asked to write about a miracle in my life that God had to have a hand in otherwise it never would have happened. Need I say more? Grace is indeed “Amazing”, isn’t it?
Tommy McDonald
