DON'T MISS OUT ON GOD'S GRACE!
TEXT:
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15 verse 10, King James Version).
Simply put, grace is the outworking of God's power and ability in a man's life. In other words, it's God at work in a man's life that puts him ahead of others. Grace is devoid of works. A man that functions in God's grace does less, he finds things easy because God is seen at work for him. While others labour to accomplish things in life, the one who is borne on God's grace is simply at rest, basking in God's ability, power and strength. It's God enabling him to do exploits in life.
In God's dealing with man, He makes available at his disposal, enjoyment and without restraint, all of his grace. At such times, all we need to do is to spread out our wings like the eagle and fly effortlessly, accomplishing enviable feats to the glory of God.
The eagle is a bird that is reputed with the ability to fly from one end of the ocean to the other effortlessly and without stress. Once in the air, all it does is to locate some strong current and spread out its wings. It allows the current to bear it to its destination. Instead of flapping its wings continuously, the eagle glides and rides air currents . This minimizes energy consumption, allowing it to cover long distances without exhausting itself. This is what God's grace does for us in life, if we allow Him. A man that is sent by God will usually enjoy His grace. It was so with Gideon against the Midianites (see Judges 6 verses 12 and 14).
But it's possible to frustrate God's grace and miss out on it as a result of one thing or the other. In the case of Moses, as we shall see, it was on account of anger. Once that happens, we lose grace (God's help, so to speak) and in consequence thereof, it becomes necessary to get the job done by our efforts instead of through God's grace. Knowing the benefits of grace, Apostle Paul in Galatians 2 verse 21, said, "I do not frustrate the grace of God".
Before I close, let me give you a Biblical illustration of what it means to miss out on God's grace. In Exodus 24 verse 12, the Lord had invited Moses to the mountain saying,
"Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them."
In Exodus 32 verse 16, we are emphatically told that "the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables." This was God at work for Moses. Both the tables of stone and the writings on them were the handiwork of God Himself. Moses didn't do anything as far as these were concerned. The Lord simply made the tables, wrote the commandments on them and handed everything to him. To me, this was grace at work for Moses.
Later, in Exodus 32 verse 19, Moses had out of anger broken these tables of stone following the incident of the golden calf that Israel made in place of God. In Exodus 34 verse 1, the Lord now commands Moses to hew by himself two new tables of stone in place of the former ones which he broke.
Can we say that by this, God had disapproved of Moses' anger that resulted in the destruction of the original tables of stone, and in consequence made Moses to hew by himself the new tables of stone?
Furthermore, some translations agree that unlike the first time, God also made Moses write the Words of the Covenant on the new tables of stone which the Lord asked him to make (consider Exodus 34 verse 28, especially the American Standard Version , the Common English Bible, the Contemporary English Version , etc).
To me, this was evidence that Moses had lost God's grace that was originally at work when the first tables of stone were made and written on by God Himself. This time around, because he broke the initial tables of stone in anger, he lost out on God's grace and was made to produce and write on the new tables of stone all by himself. Let's beware not to lose God's grace.
Remember also that it was because of anger that Moses was precluded from entering into the Promised Land. Let's learn to deal with anything that will take us out of God's grace.
PRAYER:
Dear Father, Your grace works things out for me effortlessly. I refuse to function without it. Help me never to be out of Your grace, in Jesus' name.