Extending Grace

April 7

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not

without effect.

1 Corinthians 15:10

As Jim looked across his desk at Levi, he silently asked God for the wisdom

to handle this situation. He’d received several calls from customers that recent

orders had been missing multiple items.

Myron from Harvest Equipment had called a few minutes earlier to let

Jim know that five different parts had been missing from his order. Jim humbly

responded, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, Myron. Tell me what parts were

missing, and I’ll ship them to you overnight, no freight.”

Jim had discovered that Levi had been sent home two days ago, midshift,

for drinking on the job. Seventeen orders he had sent out had been shipped

incomplete. Jim was deciding what to do. He had every right to fire Levi on

the spot. But he’d been twenty-one once and remembered an opportunity he’d

been given to make good on a poor choice. He talked to Levi about good

character and how hard it is to restore once people witness one too many of

our poor choices. Jim decided to give Levi another chance and extended God’s

grace to someone in desperate need of it.

h

Jim was not hasty in dealing with Levi. He had never forgotten how God

had extended His precious grace at a crucial time of rebellion in his own life.

Without that grace, Jim might never have recognized how dangerous the road

was he had started down.

Paul never forgot God’s grace either. He spoke openly and often about his

past in a plea for people to stop judging harshly. His instruction to the church

at Corinth was to reveal to them how God’s grace not only saves, but also how

it can bring about tremendous change in a person’s heart. We have all been nec-

essary recipients of that grace. How can we, in light of that knowledge, refuse

to extend it to those who are perishing?

Prayer

“God of mercy, we ask Your forgiveness for the times we have

been stubborn and possessive with something so powerful

as Your grace. Teach us to be humble; show us how to walk

in grace so that we might extend it to others. Amen.”

 No Grading Curve

April 6

But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.

When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we

will not be condemned with the world.

1 Corinthians 11:31, 32

She stared at the red ink at the top of the paper and silently began to formulate

an argument for her professor. She waited until the last student was gone and

then walked to Mr. Ambrose’s desk.

“Samantha?” he asked, seeing her agitation.

“How could you do this to me?” she all but screamed. “This paper deserved

a better grade!”

Calmly, and with appreciation for the moment, he responded, “In looking

at the basic thought behind your analysis, I found your work absent of genuine

depth. As I read, I felt you had no personal connection with the facts you pre-

sented. Your words were mechanical, devoid of emotion. I know you are capa-

ble of better work, Samantha. I do not grade on a curve, as I believe it sends

the wrong message. Students cannot be rightly motivated if they know they

can get by simply because of a curve that allows sub-par effort. You received a

grade commensurate to the level at which you performed, a level well below

what you are capable of.

Knowing the truth of his statement, she was convicted of the casual effort

she had dedicated to her work.

h

Being left to grade ourselves is a dangerous assignment. Most of us do not pos-

sess the ability to assess ourselves objectively; we tend to think highly of our

efforts and expect results accordingly.

As in the grading curve mentioned in today’s story, we can be deceived

into believing we can bypass Jesus’ sacrifice. Many are under the impression

that if they live a good life, they will somehow be deserving of heaven. That

just isn’t true. If it were so, Christ died for no good reason, and God is a liar. It

requires our receiving and acknowledging the blood sacrifice of Calvary. Only

by placing Jesus on the throne of our lives are we rightly motivated. We cannot

enter heaven by means of a grading curve.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, reign in my life and lead me into all truth. I put

my trust in You, not in the world’s flexible gospel. Amen.”

 Yours Free—At a Price …

April 5

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the

Christ … and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:31

Art was skeptical. He’d seen mail order offers before: “This is your big chance,

Art Minot!” “You could win millions!” Then, in smaller print, “Or … ” and they

listed several “alternate” prizes ranging from plasma TVs to a keychain. He’d

always won the keychain.

But this offer was different. This was an offer for free dental care. The local

dentists were dedicating one day to give back to the community by providing

free dental work, regardless of economic standing. All you had to do was con-

tact the offices between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the prearranged date and

schedule an appointment.

So on that day, Art began calling at 10:00 a.m. promptly, finally getting

through around 10:40 a.m. Two weeks later, Art underwent a double tooth

extraction he’d been in desperate need of.

He later learned that these two dentists had performed over ten thou-

sand dollars worth of free work for the community that day. The dental work

had been free. All Art had to do was hit re-dial until he got through to the

receptionist—a small price for such a large reward.

h

Not all offers or promises are genuine and valid. Nor is everything we read

in print true. Many times, unsuspecting participants lose their life savings in

elaborate schemes. People believe what they read simply because it was printed

on decorative paper.

Most fraudulent offers rely on a desperate desire to find relief from a dif-

ficult life. The sad truth is that they offer big promises with little or no reward.

There is, however, one promise we can count on no matter what it’s written on.

It is free to those who would receive it.

John was an eyewitness to the price that was paid to give us life in His

name. Our cost is faith, faith that what we read in Scripture is true. This is the

sweepstakes we were born to win. The price was great; our free reward is huge!

Will you believe, let Jesus pay the price, and enjoy the reward?

Prayer

“Thank you for Your written Word, Lord. Send Your Holy

Spirit to testify to the truth in Scripture. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Made for Laughter

April 4

A cheerful heart is good medicine.

Proverbs 17:22

Nancy and Craig constantly looked for little ways to make each other laugh

and enrich their marriage. This particular morning found Nancy headed out

the door for the day as Craig was finishing breakfast. 

They never parted company without a what-if kiss: What if something terrible happens and we do not see each other again? So, getting up from the table, Craig joined his beloved at their favorite spot: the doorway between the dining room and kitchen. 

Nancy stood on the step above the threshold, Craig on the kitchen floor, several inches below her. This offset their height difference, making for the perfect fit.

As they embraced and kissed, a mischievous thought came unbidden to

Craig. 

Not given time to brush his teeth prior to Nancy’s heading out the door,

he realized, with increasing amusement, here was a moment given by God!

Leaning back while still holding her around the waist, he looked into Nancy’s

eyes and said, “I guess this makes me a cereal kisser!” Spontaneous laughter

with a twinkle in their eyes gave testimony to the love they shared. 

These precious moments given of God deepened their relationship with each other and God.

h

We were created with an expressive nature, and it testifies to what’s going on

in our heart.

Many of us suffer from heavily burdened hearts, rarely displaying any sign

of joy or happiness. God Himself desires to bring complete joy to our lives that

we might recognize His nature and learn to emulate it.

It is my belief that we bring a smile to our Creator’s face when we laugh

with abandon. One of my favorite paintings is of a head-thrown-back, all-

teeth-showing, belly-laughing Jesus.

We weren’t created to walk around with a downcast countenance, showing

everyone how miserable we are. We will find what we look for; joy is optional.

Yes, there will be sorrow, but if we look for a light heart, we just might find one

filled with laughter.

Prayer

“Help us look to create those seemingly insignificant moments in

life, Lord. Teach us to laugh as You intended, to love each other

passionately with fervor and great joy! In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 In the Fury of the Storm

April 3

I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.

Psalm 55:8

Clarence watched in horror as the funnel cloud dropped from the sky. He

turned and shouted to his wife, “Michelle, grab Christy and Tim and head for

the basement. Now!” He took one more look before turning to join his family.

The twister was bouncing from point to point as if it were choosing spe-

cific geographical locations. Every time it touched down, debris was lifted sky-

ward. The closer it came, the darker the funnel got. Clarence stood, paralyzed

by the awesome display of destruction.

“Clarence? What are you doing?” came Michelle’s anxious cry.

Snapped to his senses, Clarence descended through the basement door,

pulling it closed as the updraft threatened to rip it from his grasp. Descend-

ing the stairs two at time, he forced a measure of calm to his voice and said,

“Over to the corner. Take this blanket and cover up under the workbench.”

As they huddled beneath the meager protection, Clarence began reciting the

Twenty-third Psalm. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of

death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me … ” As the family joined him, the

storm raged above. They could feel the house shake and hear windows break-

ing. Through it all, they would remember the peace that surrounded them in

the fury of the storm.

h

God’s promise to us is a place of shelter away from the storms of life. He does

not promise we won’t experience trouble, only that in the midst of the storms

we can find peace and comfort beyond what the world has to offer.

Our response in times of crisis determines whether we will continue to be

tormented or receive strength from above. Just as Clarence was mesmerized

by the power of the tornado, we too can be held in a dangerous place longer

than we intend. And like Michelle’s cry, David urges us to take shelter from

the storm. He’s telling us to hurry and not delay in fleeing from our pursuers.

Prayer

“Storms come upon me so quickly, Lord. Help me see the clouds

before the tempest is upon me. Rescue me from my enemies,

for I am in need of Your strength. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”