Our Daily Grace: Always In God

"God is closer to us than our own soul...for our soul sits in God in true rest, and our soul stands in God in true strength, and our soul is naturally rooted in God in endless love."

Julian of Norwich

"I'm in the very presence of God - oh, how refreshing it is!"

Psalm 73:28

Wherever we are, we are enveloped lovingly in God.  No matter what we face, we are resting safely in God. No matter what we do, we are anchored strongly in God.  We are living in the presence of God at all times. He is like a great tree that shades us with His sheltering branches. He is like the very atmosphere we exist in, like an endless sea of love we are swimming in. This sheltering presence, this living atmosphere, this sea of God's Being, is pure Love, delighting in us, tenderly caring for us, always on our side, always our friend. How wonderful it is to be IN God at all times!

A thought: His presence refreshes me at all times, even when I cannot feel this.

Our Daily Grace: Always in His Grace

"My dear darling, I am glad that you have come to Me in all your woe. I have always been with you, and now you see me loving, and we are made one in bliss."

Julian of Norwich

"We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us.  We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand - out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise."

Romans 5:1-2

Julian of Norwich struggled with feelings of shame and guilt for sins she saw in herself.  She went through all sorts of rituals of confession and repentance, trying to make up for her sin and find a sense of being okay with God again.  Yet when she turned to God, she found Jesus telling her that He had been with her the whole time, loving her, accepting her.  When we turn to God, we find He is already turned toward us and in fact, He never turned away from us at all.   We don't need to do any rituals or jump through any hoops to get back on God's good side when we fail.  We are always on His good side! He is always for us, loving us, friends with us, open toward us, and our connection with Him is always intact, no matter what we do.  We never go out of His presence or out of His grace!

A thought: My relationship with God is always intact.

Our Daily Grace: A Friend Inside of Us

"Jesus came to give us the courage to trust and allow our inherent union with God."

Richard Rohr

"Now I stroll at leisure with God in the sunlit fields of life."

Psalm 56:13

He has always been with us, always been the Friend inside us, even when we didn't realize it.  Jesus came as Emmanuel, God With Us.  He proved that God was always for us and that nothing would stop Him from being our Friend.  Humanity killed Jesus, but He just came out of the grave with His arms open wide in love, acceptance and forgiveness!  His Spirit is in our hearts as a constant Companion, sharing every moment with us, reminding us that we belong with God and will never be alone.  It's so good to relax, knowing He is in us, loving us, being our friend, walking with us through this life!

A thought: God walks with me.

Our Daily Grace: What's Right With Us

"I will focus on what God declares is right with me, and that my life is hid in Christ! He and me united as one...how amazing is that!"

Lydia Grewell

"The secret of your life is your union with Christ in God."

Colossians 3:3

Instead of thinking about what we believe to be 'wrong' with ourselves, we can be still and retreat deep within our spirit to where we are one with Christ, tucked away in God the Father.  In that safe place we can hear the words He tells us, reminding us what is right with us - that we are righteous, holy, beloved, blessed, held, victorious, safe, that we are His dear children always in union with Him!  This is the secret: we are one with God, right with Him and perfectly loved, no matter what - right now and forever!

A thought: I will focus on what God says about me.

Our Daily Grace: Run Like a Child

"Play and run like a child! Your Father's heart is set on you and on the purpose of thrilling you with His love."

June Melanson

"He stood me up on a wide open field - I stood there saved - surprised to be loved!"

Psalm 18:19

He loves surprising us with His love at every turn, thrilling our hearts with His great affection for us.  We are in the wide open fields of God's grace and love, free to run and laugh and play like a carefree child! The experience of such love and acceptance and security gives the feeling of being a child once again, for we are always dear little innocent children in His presence. This is God's heart for all people, His dream and desire, that we would run free and dance and feel like exuberant children in the sunshine of His perfect love! 

A thought: I'm dancing with God in fields of grace!

Our Daily Grace: Open-Hearted

"He revealed a beautiful and delicious place, ample enough for all humanity to rest in peace and love - in His sacred heart."

Julian of Norwich

"Our hearts are wide open to you and we speak freely, holding nothing back from you...for we carry you in our hearts with great love.."

2 Corinthians 6:11-12

Just as Paul told the believers that his heart was wide open to them, God's heart is always wide open to us. His great heart is full of compassion, tenderness, loving care and understanding.   He has great affection for us, is always open and friendly and welcoming.  In fact, His heart is so big and spacious that it holds all humanity within it, wrapped in love and grace! Even if we close ourselves off from God in confusion or anger, He is ALWAYS open-hearted towards us. We do not need to change His mind about us; He already adores us and is ready to do anything to help us!  What a great heart that holds us all so tenderly!

A thought: He carries me in His heart.

Our Daily Grace: Christ Is Joyful In Us

 "Nothing can take away our joy in Christ!"

Anne Cary

"Your hearts will rejoice, and noone will take your joy from you."

John 16:22

He is our joy.  In Him we have an untouchable, permanent joy that can't be removed, no matter what the circumstance.  Our joy is a person, Christ, who is in us and for us, always happy with us and always filled with rejoicing in God's total victory over this world. He is the author of joy, and He is so light-hearted, full of smiles and laughter in us!

A thought: I have the joy of Christ bubbling up inside me!

Our Daily Grace: Take Heart

"You will not be overcome."

Julian of Norwich

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

We are in Him, we are His responsibility. Whatever we face in this world of trouble, He is taking care of it. In fact, He has already overcome it.  He will cause us to see and experience that victory. He is here, the One who conquered everything, even death.  He is infusing us and our situation with all His life, strength, peace and victory.  We will not be overcome.

A thought: He has already won this battle for me.

Our Daily Grace: Every Tear

"Hear His word spoken to your heart: "Shalom, be at peace, I understand."

Brennan Manning

"You have seen me tossing and turning through the night. You have collected all my tears and preserved them in Your bottle!  You have recorded every one in Your book.

Psalm 56:8

Our dear brother Jesus has lived on this Earth.  He knows how challenging it can be to make it through each day.  He understands all our troubles, worries and sorrows.  Every tear we cry is precious to Him, every single hurt we feel is hurting Him, too.  We are not alone in our difficulties and griefs. He is here.  He feels it all right along with us.  And He is wrapping us in His arms of peace, comfort and love right now.

A thought: He understands.

Our Daily Grace: God of Help, Not Hurt

"God isn't punishing and hurting us; God is helping and healing us."

Susannah St. John 

"He does not willingly bring suffering or grief to anyone."

Lamentations 3:33

Our dear Father God is only good to us and only does good things. He is never punishing, causing bad circumstances or bringing pain. He is not the cause of suffering; He is the remedy for it. He is right there suffering with us, taking the pain onto Himself and transforming it to good, carrying us through, delivering us from evil and bringing ultimate victory over it. He only wants to help!

A thought: God will never hurt me.

Our Daily Grace: Treasured in Christ

"God chose you when He planned creation."

Barry Adams

"God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and His Spirit has made you holy."

1 Peter 1:2

God chose us to be His very own long ago, before the universe even existed!  He already had us in His heart and in His mind as the beloved children He adored.  He already knew us long ago in Christ. Rather than hoping to find God, we can truly say we've always been with Him in Christ from before time began. God has always been holding on to us and we have always been included in the love and joy of God!

A thought: God wants me, God chooses me, God treasures me.

Our Daily Grace: Safe in the Almighty

"I'm safe, safe inside Your love."

Steve Archer

"His huge outstretched arms protect you; under them you're perfectly safe."

Psalm 91:4

We are not vulnerable.  We are not in danger.  We are not at the mercy of every wind and storm that comes.  We are SAFE.  We are in the shelter of the Almighty, in the safest place of all. It's not that anything could happen to us.  It's that nothing could happen to us without going through His hands first. So it isn't coming to me, it's coming to God. And if it comes to God, He's going to handle it, and in fact He already has. We are safe!

A thought: I am safely resting in the strongest arms of all.

Our Daily Grace: God Rejoices

"That which strengthens me most is the joy that God has over me."

Bertie Brits

"Love rejoices in the truth."

1 Corinthians 13:6

God rejoices in the truth about you.  He rejoices in the truth your belovedness.  He rejoices in the truth your uniqueness as His one-of-a-kind creation.  He rejoices in the truth of you being His dear child.  He rejoices in you, beautiful, sweet, pure, perfect, adorable and lovely you, because He rejoices in the truth and that's what's really true about you! 

A thought: I fill God with joy!

Our Daily Grace: Grace Is Greater

"You can't go too far with grace. That's like saying, 'Don't go too far with Jesus.'"

Steve McVey

"Yet, though sin is shown to be wide and deep, thank God His grace is wider and deeper still!  The whole outlook changes - sin used to be the master of men and in the end handed them over to death; now grace is the ruling factor, with righteousness as its purpose and its end the bringing of men to the eternal life of God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 5:20-1

No matter how much it looks like sin and death have ruled this world, God assures us that His grace and life have already defeated them and will have the final word.  Even now grace is reigning, turning darkness, sin and death into light, love and life. There is so much hope for the future, thanks to the wonder of God's grace and love shown in Christ, when He, by the cross and resurrection, defeated sin and death and brought eternal life to us!  There is nothing He can't do, no problem He can't solve, no situation He can't bring to victory, no person He can't reach, no story He can't give a happy ending.  We haven't even begun to imagine all God is doing and will do by His grace through Jesus Christ our Lord!

A thought: Grace wins!

Our Daily Grace: Effortless Life

 "It is effortless to live righteously because it's our nature."

Bertie Brits

"God made great and marvelous promises, so His nature would become part of us."

2 Peter 1:4

Through Christ's triumph, God's nature is our nature.  His love is our love. We are righteous with Christ's own living righteousness, alive in His own life, filled with His own Spirit.  Christ is in us! This is our identity, the real and true self.  It is so easy to be oneself.  Every day we live is a holy day filled with God, because God is in every day living His life out of us!

A thought: Christ effortlessly lives and loves from within me!

Our Daily Grace: Life by the Spirit

"Living by the Spirit is living from our source, from who we are in our spirit."

Lydia Grewell

"God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled."

Galatians 5:22-3

Deep within us is our true self, a beautiful and innocent person who loves and wants to be loved.  This inner child is our spirit in union with God. Finding HIs Spirit deep within us, loving us and making us who we are, is such a revelation and brings such relief.  The deepest part of us is good!  We aren't far from God - He is right here deep inside with us!  Knowing this brings beautiful things out of our lives as we simply can BE who we really are in Him - loving, good, kind, patient, joyful.  The Spirit flows through us in all these beautiful ways, and we see that as HE is, so are we - Love!

A thought: I am filled with God and I spread His love wherever I go.

Our Daily Grace: His Heart for Us

"He sees us with compassion and not with blame."

Julian of Norwich

"When He saw the vast crowds of people, Jesus' heart was deeply moved with compassion, because they seemed weary and helpless, like wandering sheep without a shepherd."

Matthew 9:36

He has only one stance towards us, only one attitude, and it is not disappointment, frustration, or blame.  It is compassion. It is deep, loving concern.  His heart is deeply moved by us! He knows firsthand how challenging it is to live in this world. He never blames us for being human or having struggles. He never blames us for our worries or fears, never scolds us for our problems or failures.  He just enters into our hurting moments and hugs us close to His heart, with complete love and tenderness, like a shepherd hugging his frightened little lamb.

A thought: Instead of blaming me for my problems or failures, He just hugs me even closer!

Our Daily Grace: His Favorite

"God thinks I'm His favorite!  You are too!"

Lydia Grewell

"I have loved you just as My Father has loved Me. Stay in My love."

John 15:9

The Father loves the Son in the most tender, strong, enduring way possible.  He could not favor or treasure the Son any more than He already does.  And that is the same way that Jesus loves us!  He has the most tender, strong, enduring love possible for us.  He could not favor or treasure us any more than He already does. We are all His favorite, His special friend, so valuable and important to Him, and He just wants us to stay right here and let Him love on us!

A thought: I am special to God and loved just as Jesus is!

Our Daily Grace: Grace At Our Lowest

"Grace, like water, flows to the lowest part."

Philip Yancey

"My grace is enough for you: for where there is weakness, My power is shown the more completely."

2 Corinthians 12:9

When we are at the end of our rope, grace empowers us.  When we are feeling unworthy of love, grace encourages us.  When we doubt and struggle and rant and rave, grace accepts us. Grace comes to us and carries us, no matter how low we go, no matter how far we run, no matter how distant we feel from God.  In fact, our weakest and lowest point is where grace is strongest on our behalf! No matter what, God's grace, His unconditional love, acceptance and help, is always with us, and this grace will bring us safely home! 

A thought: My whole life is lived in the grace of God.

Our Daily Grace: Good and Perfect

"Every good and perfect gift comes from God. We are all God's good and perfect gift to each other."

David Adams

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

James 1:17

God created us and He only makes good things.  He didn't make a mistake in creating us.  There is nothing wrong with us - we are good and perfect creations of God!  We are a good and perfect gift from God to this world.  You have something special to share with this world that noone else has.  Who you are is a gift, a thing of beauty, God's song, a work of art to bless this world!  This world is brighter because you, a perfect child of God, are in this world just being yourself!

A thought: I make this world more beautiful just by being me.

Our Daily Grace: The Perfect Conclusion

 "In God's all-seeing wisdom, all things have their rightful place since before the beginning of time. He always brings everything to its perfect conclusion."

Julian of Norwich

"He promised everlasting life before He made the world."

Titus 1:2

It's such a beautiful thing to know that the end is not in doubt with God.  He's already in the future, already there at the glorious end, and everything is perfect.  He has had our lives in His hand since before time began, and He has had the perfect happy ending for us in heaven with Him wrapped up since then, too.  Nothing that happens to us is a surprise to God or makes Him have to change course; He has already taken care of everything in the eternal sense.  We are assured that all will be well and that God is so big He has already taken care of everything that concerns us and we will truly see it all work out for the best!

A thought: God already wrote the end of my story - and they lived happily ever after!

Our Daily Grace: Grace Before Time Began

"Grace always comes to you!"

Paul White

"He saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began."

2 Timothy 1:9

God gave us grace - He loved, embraced, accepted and kept us perfectly in Christ Jesus -  before the ages began!  From all eternity God has held you safely in Jesus, and He has been loving and blessing you from before you ever stepped foot on this earth.  You have always been safe in His arms and He had your ending worked out from before your beginning.  Grace has always come to you and grace will always surround you.  There is nothing you could do to change God's mind about you or stop His love and goodness from pouring over your life. You are wrapped in His love and grace forever!

A thought: I have never been out of His grace and love, and I never will be.

Our Daily Grace: Worthy

"You have judged your children worthy of love.  Now you know Papa's heart!"

Marie Louise

"Everyone is worthy of love."

Romans 12:10

Every single person is worthy and deserving of love just by being God's creation.  He has made each of us and scripture calls us all God's offspring.  Parents think the world of their children, believe them worthy of honor and blessing.  That's just how our Heavenly Dad feels towards us!  Each of us has dignity and beauty and is worthy of respect, honor, concern, compassion and care.  Jesus came to save the lost little children of God.  No matter how lost and small we think we are, Jesus came for us.  He thinks we are worth looking for, worth caring for, worth dying for!  We need never think we are unworthy again!

A thought: I am deserving of God's love and care.

Our Daily Grace: Approved by God

 "Train your conscience to believe that God approves of you."

Martin Luther

"Jesus was handed over to be crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and was raised back to life to prove that He had made us right with God!"

Romans 4:25

God is happy with us and verifies that we are righteous, justified, and approved by raising Christ from the dead.  Christ was raised as proof that our sins were taken away completely and we were made right with God. I do not have to work to get God's approval; I can live in freedom and joy because I already have it in Christ.

A Thought:  Through Christ I have God's permanent stamp of approval.

Our Daily Grace: Sin Doesn't Change a Thing

"What happens when I make a mistake or sin? You are still the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and not under the law."

Rob Rufus

"God did it for us.  Out of sheer generosity He put us in right standing with Himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where He always wanted us to be. And He did it by means of Jesus Christ."

Romans 3:24

God's arms are always open to us, but it's sometimes difficult to see that when we fail.  So God has given us Christ's righteousness (right standing with God) to be our own. This is a righteousness that is totally apart from and unaffected by our behavior. Even if we fail, we are still right with God, still righteous, because our rightness is based on Christ's behavior, which is perfect. That is why He gave us this gift of Christ's goodness and rightness, so we can come to God without shame or fear, even when we fail!

A thought:  My sin doesn't change His righteousness in me!

 

Our Daily Grace: Christ Our Righteousness

"For you to fall out of favor with the Father, Jesus would have to sin. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus ALL the time."

Rob Rufus

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

2 Corinthians 5:21

We have been given Christ's own righteousness and goodness!  His righteousness is our righteousness.  You just can't get any more righteous than Jesus, and that is just how righteous, right with God and acceptable to God we are at all times.  Christ is never going to fail, Christ is never going to fall out of God's favor, Christ is never going to be rejected by God - so neither are we!  Thanks to Jesus, we are perfectly right with God now and forever! 

A thought: I am always just as 'right with God' as Jesus is!

Our Daily Grace: No Effort

 "God's gift of life is not about behavior! We don't even give it a thought! We love and trust God and live from our awareness of His love and care for us."

Jamie Weeks

"We, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us."

Romans 8:4

This life we have from God is complete, beautiful, sufficient, and continuous.  There is nothing at all that needs to be added to God's life in us, no effort needed from us to produce this life. It is already there. His Spirit is flowing from us with rivers of living water, continually renewing and bubbling over.  We can rest in that flow of love, life, peace and joy, knowing He is in charge of living this life, not us.

A thought: The Holy Spirit is flowing out of me!

Our Daily Grace: He is Holding On to Us

 "Just rest, Beloved. Let Jesus love on you. You don't have to prove anything, or perform anything, or figure anything out. Someone much bigger than you has you in His grip making your grip on Him unnecessary; you can let go and rest in His unfailing love and care."

Jamie Weeks

"I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost. No one can snatch them out of My hand."

John 10:28

We are safe in the arms of Jesus.  We don't have to try to hold onto Him, for He is holding on to us, and He will never let go.  We can never be lost from Him.  Oh how wonderful to be safe in the One who loves us the most of all and is also the Strongest Protector we could ever have. We can just lean back into the arms of love and take a rest!

A thought: I am safe like a child in His arms.

 

Our Daily Grace: Sufficient

"His grace is sufficient for all my days and will always be there."

Malcolm Smith

"Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day He carries us in His arms."

Psalm 68:19

He is more than enough for any situation we face.  Each day He carries us - and all our burdens - in His arms. Grace means we are His responsibility, and He will come through for us. It's okay if we don't feel strong; His strength will support us.  It's okay if we don't feel calm; He will be our peace and calm us down.   It's okay if we don't know what to do; He is so wise and will work everything out right.  Grace means He promises to carry us in His arms all the way home, and He won't let us down!

A thought: God is enough.

Our Daily Grace: We Already Are

 "You are not to strive. You are to be. That's the good news.  You already are."

Dan Stone

"God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children."

Romans 8:16

God is at home in you.  He isn't struggling with you, so you don't have to struggle with yourself.  He is so proud of you, His child.  You are already beautiful.  You are already embraced. You are already accepted.  You are already with God.  You are already His beloved one.  You are already right where you are meant to be.  The Spirit isn't pressuring us to become or to strive to be something better.  The Spirit is simply reminding us that we already ARE pleasing to God and close to God.

A thought: I am not trying to become; I can simply BE who I am - God's good and beloved child.

Our Daily Grace: Can't Get Any Closer

"We aren't just close to Christ, we are one with Christ.  You can't get any closer than that!"

Susannah St. John

"You will know that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you."

John 14:20

There is no need to feel we need to get closer to God or have more of God. There is nothing we lack in our relationship with Him.  We are in Him. We are as close as we can get to God - you can't get any closer than IN Him.  And He is in us. We are as complete as we can get, having ALL of God inside us - you can't get any better than His perfection. We are all right, right now! We are already in His arms and nothing is needing to be done.  We can rest!

A thought:  I am enveloped in God!