Grace and Verse.....

I am planning on taking some pictures of my "Grace" 2012 One Little Word album.

I am absolutely LOVING my Word, that God gave me for this year, Grace.

And right now I am in an interesting study on "Common Grace",

and as I have read and meditated on it, my heart has been OVERWHELMED

with the Grace of our God.

Let me define Common Grace as it is defined in this study.....

"Common grace is that benevolence which is poured out upon all men, regardless of their spiritual condition."

Let me give you an example:

Matthew 5:44-45

"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you; in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.'

Writer of this study also says:

"God is gracious in making provision for the salvation of all men, and in commanding its universal proclamation.  He is also gracious in delaying judgment, thereby giving men, ample time to repent. (II Peter 3:9). One might also imply that God is gracious in not revealing more than He does to those who reject Him, since greater knowledge brings greater judgment. (Luke 12:47-48)."

I am so thankful that God has patience with His children, even when we are "afar off" and have not accepted Him as Lord and Savior yet.  He extends "Common Grace" so we can even live at all during the time before we accept Him, because sin is such an affront to God. 

And even after I was saved, I went through a very long season of disobedience and sin in my younger years.  

God seriously should have flicked me right off the face of His beautiful planet,

but He didn't.  

He was extending Grace, and the writer of this study may call it "Common Grace", but to me,

a recipient of it, it was anything but "Common".  

Yes, this part of the study has been very meaningful to me,

a girl who longs to be in the exact center of her Father's will.

And fails, I know, daily.

But I am SO thankful for Grace.

God's unmerited favor, that saw a broken down girl and chose her as His own.

I am eternally grateful!!!

*****

January 15th Verse:

Isaiah 43:18-19

"Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

God gave me these verses, about a week ago.

I am SO excited!!!

I feel like this is EXACTLY what God is doing in our lives:

A New Thing!!

I feel like we are starting a new season and I am SO exacted for all that God will do in us and through us for His Glory!!

Do you have a verse for the last two weeks of January?

If so, please share, or post it on your blog, let me know and I'll come for a visit.

Have a Super Blessed Day ~~