Tis The Season of GRACE

I just came in from our backyard where Fiver and I played a little catch… or rather a game of toss the ball and chase after the dog… and I am feeling exhilarated and thankful with an overall sense of peace!  It’s a beautiful fall day here in Oklahoma.  When we took our morning walk along the golf course a couple of hours ago, the weather was in the mid-thirties with a bright blue, wispy cloud filled sky!  Then, by the time we went into the backyard, the setting was the same, except the temperatures have gone up about ten degrees.

To me, this is the perfect weather to get one in the mood to enjoy the traditions and family adventures of Christmas.  We had two wonderful Thanksgiving gatherings with our kids and their families, which enabled me to get in some quality Grandpa, or as my Oklahoma City granddaughter calls me, “Grandpa Papa”, time. 

The weather on Thanksgiving was brisk but did edge its way up into the low sixties.  Yesterday started out in the low twenties with a cold northern wind and forced me to put on some thermals for Fiver’s and my morning walk!  But by the time we gathered with the family, the weather was at a much more manageable temperature. 

Today started out cool, much like yesterday with blue skies but no wind that made for a very enjoyable morning walk!  This afternoon though, the forecast is for increasing clouds with some rain and even a chance of snow over the night time hours! 

So, yeah… It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in the flatlands of Oklahoma!  And with that atmosphere filling my home, I can’t help but to go back to the Old Testament prophecies and New Testament stories that tell of the coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

As I have begun to re-visit those precious verses of scripture over the last few days, I have been especially drawn into noticing the multiplicity of times that the GRACE of God is spoken of.  The verse that started it all off for me was the prophetic words as recorded in the book of Luke explaining,

“Then Zechariah was filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and he prophesied, saying: ‘Praise be to the exalted Lord God of Israel, for He has seen us through eyes of GRACE, and He comes as our Hero-God to set us free!’” *

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, with its biblical commentary, states that Zecheriah’s prophecy,

“was early recognized as the last Prophecy of the Old Dispensation, and the first of the New, and furnishes a kind of key to the evangelical interpretation of all prophecies.”

So, if I understand this correctly, GRACE and the concept of God viewing us all through the eyes of GRACE, is then the key to unlock the underlying meanings of all the evangelical prophecies that tell of the plan, purpose and power of the Gospel message.  Jesus thought so highly of the importance of God’s GRACE in the life of the believer, that He reassured us declaring,

“But don’t worry. My grace will never desert you or depart from your life.” ** 

Strong’s and Thayer’s Greek/English dictionaries tell us that God’s GRACE is defined as,

“the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in one’s life, the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine Grace, one’s kindly bearing, favor and the reception of beneficial opportunities”

I get excited when I read of the underlying explanations and foundations that define God’s intentions of His GRACE and of His seeing me and my fellow brothers and sisters through the eyes of that loving, favor giving, opportunity presenting, divinely influencing, power of God’s GRACE operating in, for and through our lives!

I would encourage you to begin to think about everything that you do in celebration of Christmas this year… in the celebration of the coming of the Savior of the world… with the joyful understanding of God’s GRACE operating in the activities of your daily lives. 

Meditate on and then expect to see and receive the beneficial opportunities of His Grace in every part of your life… in everything you do, with everyone you interact with and within all the plans, hopes and dreams that you hold dear in your heart.

Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving weekend and then set your heart for a wonderful and more meaningful experience of the Christmas season… by your personal and hands on knowledge of the real intent and power of God’s GRACE working in your life… and then pass it on to others!

 

*Luke 1:67-68 – The Passion Translation

**Luke 21:18-The Passion Translation