Our Daily Grace: A Beautiful Future

"God plans to do you good from this day forward and you aren't big enough to stop Him."

Steve McVey

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Eternal, "plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope - never forget that."

Jeremiah 29:11

No matter, what, we can know a good future is coming for us.  God is giving us a future filled with hope.  All our dearest hopes and dreams of peace, happiness, joy and togetherness will be fulfilled.  We will be in God's presence forever.  We will be with our loved ones and will be filled with God's joy and peace. We will have everything we have longed for and see all our best dreams come true.  It will be beyond our wildest imaginings!  It will be the ultimate happy ending.  And there is nothing we could do to mess up this plan or thwart God - it's all about His grace.  His goodness is carrying us to the best happy ending of all. Our future is only filled with JOY!

A thought: Grace means heaven is guaranteed!

Our Daily Grace: This Special Day

"Every day is a gift from God."

Billy Graham

"This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

Everyday moments, small and beautiful, are what life is all about.  They are meant to be enjoyed, savored, and treasured.  We have NOW and there's something to love and be grateful for and treasure in every NOW! This day is a gift from God.  It's priceless.  There's something beautiful to discover and enjoy in this day. It's a love letter from God to us, a way that He breaks into our world to send us beauty and joy.  Every sunrise, every birdsong, every baby's laugh, every happy moment is a love gift from God. Let's love this day and celebrate life this day!

A thought: Every day is a blessing from God.

Our Daily Grace: Imperfectly Perfect Life

"Nothing more needs to come."

Susannah St. John

"You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need."

Philippians 4:19

We don't have to wait till everything is 'perfect' or as we think it 'should' be to be happy and really start living.  We can live NOW, be happy NOW.  All we need we already have in God.  All we need we already have in what God has provided in this moment.  Right now is beautiful, precious, wonderful and special.  Right now is life, as a gift from God.  Nothing more needs to come for us to enjoy life and be happy.  We have Him, we have life, we have so much to be thankful for.  In this imperfection there is a perfect moment to celebrate. So really, everything is already perfect and as it should be, right now!

A thought: My life doesn't have to be 'perfect' for me to be happy!

Our Daily Grace: Loved Right Now

"Living in the awareness of our belovedness is the axis around which the Christian life revolves."

Brennan Manning

"He threw His arms around him, lavished attention on him, guarding him as the apple of His eye."

Deuteronomy 32:10

He is lavishing His love on us right now, embracing us with tenderness and care. We can be aware of God's love for us, right here, right now.  We can let ourselves feel and know that love beyond comprehension.  We can say, "I open my heart and let myself be loved.  It's safe to be loved, safe to be real, to be me.  I am loved, all parts of me, just as I am.  I can enjoy the experience of love!" That is what the Christian life is all about - simply letting yourself be loved by God.

A thought: Let God love you.

Our Daily Grace: God's Kingdom Now

"Our life in God is a life of love and friendship.  It's a life of joy and peace.  It's a life of approval and blessing."

Anne Cary

"God's kingdom consists of God's approval and peace, as well as the joy that the Holy Spirit gives."

Romans 14:17

We are in His kingdom of love. We are living every moment in the wonder of God's presence.  That presence is joy in the midst of sorrow, peace in the midst of turmoil, life in the midst of despair.  We are walking around in the atmosphere of God, supported by His approval, His love, and His strength.  Every moment is sacred, and every day is blessed. And only good awaits us.  In this kingdom, love reigns and only love is to come!

A thought: The best place to be is His presence, and that's where I am at all times!

Our Daily Grace: His Pride and Joy

"We're His dear little children.  God knows that kids fall down sometimes and scrape their knees, get dirty and make messes.  And He adores us in every one of those moments!"

Anne Cary

"Let these children alone. Don't get between them and Me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy."

Luke 18:16

When a toddler is crawling, then standing, then falling, over and over again, the parent doesn't complain that the baby keeps falling down all the time and just can't do anything well.  No!  The parent says with pride, "Look at my wonderful little child who is learning to walk!"  We, too, are little children in God's eyes. We fall down many times, yet it's all part of life, and often those times are when we grow and learn of God's closeness and love.  God is looking on us with pride and joy, too, saying, "Look at My wonderful child who is learning to live!" 

A thought: God is always proud of me, His little child.

Our Daily Grace: Joy, Our Natural State

"Happiness is our natural state. Happiness is the natural state of little children, to whom the kingdom belongs....To acquire happiness you don't have to do anything, because happiness cannot be acquired. Does anybody know why? Because we have it already."

Anthony de Mello

"Honor and majesty surround Him; strength and joy fill His dwelling."

1 Chronicles 16:27

Strength and joy fills God's dwelling, and we are that dwelling place of God.  His own strength and joy are filling us at all times.  This is our natural state, to be joyful and full of God's happiness, to be uplifted and full of God's strength.  This is our normal way of being, as God's little ones.  He wants us to run and play like a child, full of wonder, without a care in the world, enjoying all the beauties of life and all the joys found in His presence within us at all times!

A thought: I am happy like a child.

Our Daily Grace: Infinite Supply

"We have an infinite supply.  Because we're in union with Jesus, because He is in us (Someone Infinite), we have an infinite supply.  It never gives out, burns out, runs out, or wears out.  Jesus has infinite love, strength, endurance, patience, kindness, courage, hope and joy.  We live in infinite supply.  Satan isn't just defeated.  He is dwarfed.  He becomes a speck, totally overwhelmed by the Infinite One and His Infinite Power and Love and Wisdom.  We have an infinite supply!"

Malcolm Smith

"You are wonderful, Lord, and You deserve all praise, because You are much greater than anyone can understand."

Psalm 145:3

With such a big God dwelling inside, living in us and through us, every problem is just an opportunity to see Him demonstrate His power and grace.  Every lie Satan throws our way is just another opportunity for Him to trump all lies with truth and make us aware of our freedom.  We need not fear anything, since we have the Infinite One who has already defeated all evil within us!  Won't He surely show that victory?  Won't He surely live for us and triumph?  Won't He surely be our peace?  Won't He surely keep us?  He surely will..

A thought: The Infinite One lives in me.

Our Daily Grace: Permission to Fail

"Everybody fails.  We are only human. We are allowed to make mistakes sometimes. God still thinks we're adorable even in the midst of our messes. And so we can give ourselves a break and be gentle with ourselves when we fail. "

Susannah St. John

"For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."

Psalm 103;14

God has compassion on us.  He knows that we are just mortals with weak bodies and minds.  He knows that we are frail, often confused, and sometimes troubled.  He knows we will fail and it's okay.  We don't have to be perfect to be loved or be 'alright' with God.  We're His adorable kids, no matter what.  So we can give ourselves permission to fail, knowing that no failure will change our bond with God.  He understands.  He knows how it feels to be human and live in this challenging world. 

A thought: It's okay to fail.

Our Daily Grace: Heavenly Beginnings

"Man began in God. You are the greatest idea that God has ever had!"

Francois du Toit

"My dear children, you come from God and belong to God."

1 John 4:4

We aren't simply earthly creatures.  We came from God Himself, first imagined in His perfect wisdom and adored by His loving heart.  We weren't an accident or mistake.  We were beautifully planned, loved and delighted in before we even appeared on this earth at all!  You began in the heart of God.  You are so precious, delightful and special to God, your very source and origin! You don't belong to this world but to God Himself, who thought of you and made you in His very own image.  You bear the family likeness of God Himself! You are priceless to God, His treasured and dear child.  Nothing could change that. 

A thought: My beginning was in heaven, not on earth.

Our Daily Grace: One Spirit, Perfect Harmony

"In your deepest personhood, your desires are not in conflict with God's will. Your deepest being always wants to do your Father's will, just as Jesus wanted to do His Father's will."

Dan Stone

"In our union with Him we are one spirit with the Lord."

1 Corinthians 6:17

Deep down our spirit is one with Christ's spirit;  They are in such a union that they are simply called ONE.  Deep in that inner holy place, we move in perfect harmony with Christ.  We want what He wants.  We love what He loves.  We choose what He chooses.  The deepest part of us is good because the deepest, holiest, most sacred and beautiful part of us is truly Christ, and we are one with Him there in that quiet place of rest.  We are not struggling to be better, trying to get rid of bad thoughts, or needing to turn from rebellion.  We are ONE, in perfect unity with Him.  All we want deep down is to know His love and to be a lover.  Can you see that in yourself?  Deep down, don't you want to love and be kind?  Yes, you do.  That is the real you, flowing forth from perfect oneness with Christ who IS pure Love! The deepest part of you is made of God's own Spirit of Love, so how could you be anything other than loving, too?

A thought: Deep down I am in perfect harmony with Love.

Our Daily Grace: No Pressure

"Knowing that God does not expect anything from us is the only way not to despair."

Watchman Nee

"The written law kills, but the Spirit gives life."

2 Corinthians 3:6

Trying (and failing) to measure up to religious rules (law) can leave us feeling we are never good enough, never acceptable before God.  God doesn't want us to be burdened by rules and obligations that we can't ever meet perfectly.  He wants us to rest from self-effort and be refreshed.  He wants us to know we are acceptable to Him just as we are and that He puts no pressure on us to perform.  Jesus has taken us out from under the realm of the law and has put us in the realm of the Spirit.  The Spirit strengthens and animates us from within. The Spirit reminds us we are God's dear children, loved and accepted and complete.  The Spirit flows freely like a stream and carries us along effortlessly, filling us with joy and peace.  Nothing is expected of us, for the Spirit lives and moves in us and takes care of it all, so that we can rest!

A thought: He will do it all. 

Our Daily Grace: Freedom from Rules

"I need do nothing for God: that is deliverance from law."

Watchman Nee

"Christ defines your faith.  He is your freedom from anything the law could never free you from!  Find your firm footing in this freedom.  Do not let religion trip you up again and harness you to a system of rules and obligations!

Galatians 5:1

Christ took us out from under the bondage of religious rules (law).  We are living in the new way of the Spirit, with the very life of Christ animating us from within and filling us with His love!  This is a love relationship, with no coercion, force, pressure, manipulation, guilting or shame.  If you never change or improve, you are still just as loved and just as ONE with Christ as you are right now! You owe God nothing - His love and grace and salvation are free, with no strings attached.  He asks nothing of you, demands nothing from you. You are truly free to just relax and BE in His arms!

A thought: God makes no demands on me.

Our Daily Grace: Already There

"We are all we were ever meant to be: one with the One who is Life."

Dan Stone

"We are united with the One who is genuine, united with His Son Yeshua the Messiah.  He is the genuine God and eternal life."

1 John 5:20

We are united with Christ.  We are one spirit.  Nothing more needs to be done.  Nothing more needs to be achieved.  Nothing more needs to come.  In the secret place of eternity, all is complete, all is perfect, all is well.  This is what we were meant to have, what we were meant to be - in perfect union with the One who is pure Life, Love and Light! We may not always feel it, we may not always act like it, we may not always know it, but we are always ONE!

A thought: I am at my destination - I am one with God!

Our Daily Grace: Good Creation

"Heaven and earth and the whole of creation are ample and generous, beautiful and good."

Julian of Norwich

"Everything God created is good."

1 Timothy 4;4 (MSG)

God doesn't make bad things.  All that God makes is good.  His goodness fills creation and makes and blesses every created thing.  We are ample and generous, beautiful and good for we are good creations of God.  We have dignity and worth and beauty just by being made by such a beautiful and good Creator!  His goodness infuses us, makes us who we are, holds us in existence, and blesses our lives!

A thought: I am a good person, made by a Good God.

Our Daily Grace: Aligned with God

 "In your deepest personhood, your desires are not in conflict with God's will. Your deepest being always wants to do your Father's will, just as Jesus wanted to do His Father's will."

Dan Stone

"Your spirit wants to do what is right."

Matthew 26:41

It's such a comfort to know that the deepest part of our self is not opposed to God or against God.  This deep down part is spirit, and in our spirit we are willing and choosing to follow God, wanting to do what is right.  We don't always follow through since our body or flesh is weak. Yet Jesus' words bring such comfort in knowing our spirit is aligned with God our Father.  Our spirit is in agreement with Him.  Our spirit wants what God wants and loves what God loves.  The deepest part of us is good and agrees with God, not sin.  Love is natural to us, not sin!  

A thought: I love God's ways.

Our Daily Grace: Infinite, Unfailing Love

"There is nothing you can do that would cause God to love you any more or any less than He does right now."

Steve McVey

"Oh love me - and right now! - hold me tight! Just the way You promised."

Psalm 119:76

He already loves us to the maximum, infinite amount, with His whole infinite being, and nothing can change that! When our foot is slipping, His unfailing love grabs onto us and pulls us up.  When we cry tears of hopelessness, His unfailing love holds us and gives us hope again.  When we feel so alone, He unfailing love stays with us as our Dearest Friend.  No matter what, He will be there for us. No matter what, He will love us.  There is nothing we can do to turn Him away and nothing that can happen to change His stance toward us.  He simply loves us.  And even if all others leave us, His love will never fail us, never give up on us, never let us go!

A thought: He cannot love me more; He cannot love me less.

Our Daily Grace: The Inmost Self

"There is noone in our deepest being, our inner man, that wants to sin."

Dan Stone

"I delight in the law of God in my inmost self."

Romans 7:22

Yes, we have failed.  Yes, at times we have been openly rebellious, angry, stubborn and prideful.  Yet deep down not all of our being is going along with these actions.  Deep down we really do want to follow God, be a good person, and be kind.  The deepest part of us, the inner man or inmost self, is truly good, as it is made in God's image of goodness and love.  So even in the midst of our failures, it's comforting to know those failures are not the deepest thing about us.  The deepest part of us, our true and inmost self, does love and follow God and does want to do right and resist wrong.  We are good deep down, and that gives us a sense of dignity and self-worth that is beautiful!

A thought: Deep down I want to follow God and love others.

Our Daily Grace: Sins are Forgotten

"Confession is agreeing with God about your sins.  He has blotted them out and forgotten them and so should we. I confess that I am a saint of the Living God, no more a sinner."

Marcus Chewning

"I, even, I, am the One Who takes away your sins because of Who I am.  And I will not remember your sins."

Isaiah 43:25

Jesus, the Lamb of God, took away the sins of the world.  According to God, our sins are gone because Christ took them away ad blotted them out on the cross.  They went down with Him into the grave and they didn't come up!  Confession is just agreeing with God.  We can agree with God that our sins are gone, our sins have been wiped out by Christ, and we are not sinners but saints!  God promised to remember our sins no more, so we can do the same.  We can forget our sins and start enjoying living in a loving and intimate relationship with God.

A thought: God forgot my sin so I can, too.

Our Daily Grace: Just As We Are

"Grace tells us that we are accepted by God just as we are...God loves you unconditionally, as you are and not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be."

Brennan Manning

"How precious is Your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings."

Psalm 36:7

We can all be selfish at times, and judgmental, irritable, and doubtful.  None of us is as we 'should' be.  It's wonderful to know that we don't have to be as we 'should' be in order for God to love us.  His love is for all humans, no matter what.  He loves us right now, warts and all, just as we are.  And even if we have no plans to change, make no effort, and never do improve a bit, He still loves us with the same infinite intensity and delight as always.  We don't have to be 'good' to be loved by God.  He loves us not for any goodness but just for who we are as precious, interesting persons that He created. In this moment, just as we are, we are embraced, we are delighted in, we are loved!

A thought: God loves me the same whether I act lovely or horrible!

Our Daily Grace: Unchangeable Union

 "Our union with God does not fluctuate."

Dan Stone

"In the thick of these things our triumph remains beyond dispute. His love has placed us above the reach of any onslaught."

Romans 8:37

Our union with God can't be threatened. Its in a safe place beyond the threat of damage - it's in the heart of God! Our life is hidden with Christ in God.  We are face to face with God in the place of quiet rest, in the heart of eternity, right now!

A thought: I am always in God.

Our Daily Grace: Accepted and Approved

"Because of Christ we're justified: made right with God! If you're justified by God, you're totally righteous and accepted, acceptable in His sight. You are as acceptable in the sight of God as Jesus Christ!" 

Bob George

"Clearly, through one person's disobedience humanity became sinful, and through one person's obedience humanity will receive God's approval."

Romans 5:19

Sin brought brokenness and death to the world.  But Christ's obedience brought wholeness and life to the world!  He is our representative and He brought us with Him through death into resurrection life. His death took away everything that was wrong about us and His resurrection revealed what is right about us.  Christ is our inner life, our strength, our holiness, and now we can see and live out of that.  We are accepted and we are acceptable.  We are right and we are righteous.  We are as acceptable to God as Jesus is, because Jesus is our very Life!

A thought: I don't have to try to live up to a standard; I am already accepted and approved by God!

Our Daily Grace: Christ instead of Adam

 "God found us in Christ before He lost us in Adam!"

Francois du Toit

"There is but one Lord, Jesus Christ through Whom all things came and through Whom we live."

1 Corinthians 8:6

The beginning of the human story was not Adam; it was Christ.  We were made through Him and we exist through Him.  He is the source and origin of our human life.  So our connection with Adam and his sin is strong, but our connection with Christ and His purity is stronger!  The deepest thing about us is not sin; the deepest thing about us is Christ, is righteousness, is Love.  No matter what terrible results came from Adam's fall - such as corruption, confusion, pain and death - there is a prior claim on us, by Christ!  And so Christ's death and resurrection trump all the effects of sin and draw us all into life and freedom and grace!   Hallelujah, we were in Christ before we were ever in Adam, so Christ's work cancels out Adam's in every way for us!

A thought: Christ has more claim on me than Adam ever did!

Our Daily Grace: God Loves a Party

"He turns water into wine because He doesn't want the party to end.  That's the kind of Jesus we have. He wants to keep us in the spirit of rejoicing and celebration."

Tony Campolo

"The Lord Almighty will prepare a banquet for all the nations of the world - a banquet of the richest food and the finest wine. Here He will suddenly remove the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over all the nations.  The Sovereign Lord will destroy death forever!  He will wipe away the tears from everyone's eyes and take away the disgrace His people have suffered throughout the world. The Lord Himself has spoken."

Isaiah 25:6-8

The kingdom of heaven is an absolute party!  It's filled with joy, laughter, music and fun, and God is right in the center of it all.  He is a God who loves having a good time, loves seeing everyone happy and having fun.  He is light-hearted, full of laughs and smiles, the perfect host at the perfect party.  This party is for all people.  Those who feel excluded are always included here.  Those who are sad will have God wipe away their tears.  Those who are disgraced will find themselves graced. Even death itself is trumped by life here, trumped by the Life of the Party!  He wants us to celebrate, because He already has everything taken care of through Christ; it's time to relax and enjoy the party of God!

A thought: God's love and laughter will heal us all!

Our Daily Grace: Unending, Unlimited Love

"God loves you beyond worthiness and unworthiness, beyond fidelity and infidelity...He loves you in the morning sun and the evening rain...He loves you without caution, regret, boundary, limit or breaking point."

Brennan Manning

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."

Jeremiah 31:3

God's love for us is like an infinite wellspring of tenderness and care, bubbling forth continually, never to run dry. We are inside the circle of His love at all times and can never get out, because this circle is infinite!  There is no way we can ever end this everlasting love.  No matter what we do or don't do, God only has one way towards us, and that way is love.  Even when we did our worst to God by killing His own Son, He still reached out to us with open arms of love.  He has proved to us that His love will never fail us!

A thought: His love for me is the most certain thing in the universe!

Our Daily Grace: Blessing

"May you have peace. May you know you are loved. May you never feel alone. May you know you are always cared for. May you have everything you need. May your feel guided every step of the way."

Jane Lee Logan (princesssassypants.com)

"The Lord will bless you and watch over you. The Lord will smile on you and be kind to you. The Lord will look on you with favor and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

Long ago, God gave a special blessing to be spoken over His people.  These beautiful words epitomize who God is, full of love, kindness, protection and peace.  God still speaks a blessing over humanity, and we can bask in that blessing and pass it along, even to people who don't act in a very loving or kind way. He blesses us all!

A thought: God blesses me every day.  

Our Daily Grace: Victors, Not Losers

"Grace means that God is on our side and we are victors regardless of how well we have played the game."

Donald McCullough

"Through what He experienced, my Righteous One, my Servant, will make many righteous ones, as He Himself carries the burden of their sins. Therefore I'll reward Him extravagantly - the best of everything, the highest honors - because He looked death in the face and didn't flinch, because He embraced the company of the lowest. He took on His own shoulders the sin of the many, He took up the cause of all the black sheep."

Isaiah 53:11-12

We have all had failures and done wrong.  But Jesus took up our cause.  He bore our sins on His shoulders and carried them away, taking all the consequences for our sin, the shame, guilt and punishment that resulted from it.  So even if we may see ourselves as losers, one of the lowest, or black sheep, Jesus has made us truly righteous and innocent.  Failure, guilt, and punishment are gone and righteousness, grace and life are here!  All because of the beautiful self-sacrificing love of the innocent Jesus.  He truly deserves all the honor and praise!

A thought: Because of Jesus, even if I act like a loser, I cannot lose.

Our Daily Grace: Beloved Little Child

"The more we set our minds on how great His love is for us, the stronger we'll become!"

Bill Gillham

"Our hearts are made strong by God's loving-favor."

Hebrews 13:9

We may look at ourselves and see inadequacies and flaws; God only sees His beloved child.  Let's love on that beloved little child today that only wants tenderness and acceptance. Let's give ourselves love and think kind thoughts toward ourselves.  Let's bask in the love God has for us and just know He holds us in a warm embrace right at this moment.  Let's drink in His kindness and His joy over us, His dear ones, and feel our hearts grow strong.  Let's hear Him say, "I love you just as you are. Just as you are is perfect. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now than here with you." Let's rest in Papa's lap and let ourselves be loved!

A thought: I can feel good about being me, because that's who God loves.

Our Daily Grace: No Wrath in God

"God is the goodness that cannot be angry...There can be no wrath in God."

Julian of Norwich

"I swear an oath not to be angry with you or punish you."

Isaiah 54:9

Sometimes we can be afraid of God, fearful that He is angry with us or will punish us for our failures.  But how beautiful to find out that God promises not to be angry with us, promises not to punish us.  Jesus shows us the true face of God, and it's a gentle, kind, caring and understanding face.  A face filled not with anger but with compassion for those who have lost their way. A face so warm, tender and loving that little children were easily drawn to Him without fear. He is not wrath, He is love. He is not punishment, He is salvation. Jesus shows us He is a safe God that we need never be afraid of!

A thought: He will never be angry with me!

Our Daily Grace: Shame vs. Love

"Shame: 'There's something in the core of who I am that is worthless.' Love: 'There's something in the core of who I am that is priceless.'"

Rich Villodas

"The proof of God's amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8

Sometimes there can be a voice of shame in our head, telling us we are worthless.  Yet Love tells a different story.  To love someone is to place value on them, to see them as precious. God, who is Love, tells us we are not worthless but are in fact priceless!  What is our worth?  Christ says our worth is equal to His own life! He would really rather die than have to be without us. And He didn't die for us once we improved ourselves; He saw worth in us, gave His life to bring us home to God, even while we were in our failures and messes. You are just as valuable as Christ and you are loved just as much as Christ. That is your value. The voice of shame is just a lie.  The voice of Love is God's truth about you!  

A thought: I am of ultimate value to God!

Our Daily Grace: Dear Holy Spirit

 "The Holy Spirit will guide you into the depths of God's wisdom and love."

David Adams

"Because You've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play."

Psalm 63:7

The wonderful Holy Spirit is in us not to point out our sin but to point out our righteousness.  He is there not to demand something of us but to give something to us - all the depths of God's love for us.  He is there not to accuse us, but to defend us against the accusing voices of shame and guilt. He is so strong and powerful against any foe, deflecting all lies and building us up in the truth of our belovedness, value, and security in God!  Because He is protecting us, encouraging us, pouring out God's love on us, we are free to live like a child in the summertime, running barefoot in the fresh green grass without a care in the world!

A thought: I am free like a child!