Verse of the Day 8/16

 

John 1:16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

 

I like to have my morning coffee, with cream and sugar.  These days, trying to cut down on sweets and sugar I now measure out half of a teaspoon of sugar.  Today's verse is a reminder of how God does not withhold or carefully measure out the grace that he bestows upon us, that he fills us with.  Amy Carmichael writes, "Thank God, He does not measure out grace in teaspoons", or half teaspoons.  He heaps it on grace upon grace.

 

Think of the ways that He "heaps" grace upon grace on you, in forgiveness, in mercy, in compassion in countless blessings.  It is truly marvelous, truly matchless and greater than all our sin.

 

1. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
   Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
   Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
   There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
2. 
   Grace, grace, God's grace,
   Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
   Grace, grace, God's grace,
   Grace that is greater than all our sin
4. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;
   What can we do to wash it away?
   Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
   Brighter than snow you may be today.
5. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
   Freely bestowed on all who believe!
   You that are longing to see His face,
   Will you this moment His grace receive?

 

Take some time in worship this weekend to consider how we "live off His bounty, gift after gift" (The Message), God's grace and it's power to cleanse, power to heal, power to free and power to truly live.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

John 1:15-18The Message (MSG)

¹⁵ John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word."

^16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,
        gift after gift after gift.
    We got the basics from Moses,
        and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
    This endless knowing and understanding—
        all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
    No one has ever seen God,
        not so much as a glimpse.
    This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
        who exists at the very heart of the Father,
        has made him plain as day.