My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. 1 Peter 5:12 NLT

A couple of weeks ago as I read this verse, God asked me, “What does my grace look like to you today?” I didn’t really have an immediate answer. My first thought was 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you,” but I could tell that wasn’t the answer He was looking for. So I’ve been rolling this over and over in my mind. I began to think of all the different ways God is referred to in the Bible. He is infinitely powerful, yet oh so kind and gentle. He is a “man of sorrows”, but also the only way to everlasting joy. He is our Master, but in Him we find our freedom. He is the sacrificial Lamb and also the roaring Lion of Judah. He is the King of kings and the Prince of peace. He is the Son of Man and the Son of the Most High God. He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, all in One. He doesn’t change, the Bible says, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever”, (Hebrews 13:9) yet He is exactly who we need Him to be at any given moment. Just as our God reveals different attributes of Himself to us, I believe He reveals His grace in different ways depending on our circumstances.

In the Bible grace is defined as God’s unmerited favor. It is not something we deserve. It’s not something we can earn. He gives it simply because He loves us. For the blind man, God’s grace came in the form of spit and mud. (John 9:1-12) For the bleeding woman, His grace was the opportunity for her to touch the hem of His garment. (Matthew 9:19-22) Paul experienced the grace of God through a thorn in his side. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

The grace of God doesn’t always look the same. His grace doesn’t always look how we expect it to look. There are times when His grace comes in the form of something we don’t really want. Sometimes, we don’t even see His grace until we are able to look back. But there is something so beautifully amazing about His grace. It has power.

By His grace, the blind see, the lame walk, the sick are healed. Only by grace, the lost are found and the sinner is saved. (Ephesians 2:8) I read another definition of grace – a quality that gives something special worth. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.” (1 Corinthians 15:10) I am completely undeserving of what God does for me but because of His grace, He considers me special and worthy. And it is the power of His grace that is at work in me and also for me. So in this season of waiting, this season of so many unknowns, I choose not to look at my situation through eyes of fear and anxiety, but instead I look from the viewpoint of standing in His grace. I am letting go of the past so that I am free to grab hold of the new that my God has in store. I am not labeling this as a season of loss but instead a season of gain as I stand firm, looking ahead.

So God, in answer to your question, today your grace has the smell of excitement, it sounds like the cheering you hear as a runner nears the finish line…it looks like the beginning of a brand new chapter. I don’t know how this story ends but I know the Author and Finisher of my faith. I know that the power of the grace working in my favor will not leave me lacking or in need. (Acts 4:33-34) I know it’s gonna be good all by the grace of my God.