What is Grace? (And Other Things)

So tonight (Wednesday) I went to my campus's Bible Study called "Shine". I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to all that God will do with my life through there. As I was there, I started thinking about the true meaning of grace. The word must have meant something to me in order for me to incorporate it into the title of my blog. The best way I can describe grace is this- God giving you something that you don't deserve. For example (and the biggest act of grace God has towards us), God sending His only Son down to earth so that we can have a relationship with God and abide with Him in heaven forever, as stated in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life". Grace and mercy kind of work hand in hand. Mercy is not getting what we do deserve (sounds weird, but let me explain). Because of our sin, we all truly deserve to go to hell, because sin is from the devil, and not of God. Plain, harsh, and simple. God wasn't going to let that happen to all of His beautiful creation though, so He brought Jesus to earth so that we can have a relationship with Him, which is grace. Grace is seen in everyday terms of this busy world as well. You know that moment when you truly did not finish a paper or an assignment, and then all of a sudden that's the day that the professor decides to extend the date because of some "technical difficulties" or because they have some emergency going on in their life? That's not luck or coincidence, that's Jesus giving you grace and mercy, otherwise you would have gotten a failing grade. This has definitely happened to me on a couple of occasions, and I have been so grateful to the Lord because I know He was looking out for me. Usually if I didn't have the assignment done, it wasn't because I procrastinated (which I do occasionally) or because I just didn't feel like doing it, it's because I either truly forgot due to so much other work or because I was working on it burning the midnight oil and didn't get to finish it.

Another thing that I started thinking about as I heard the speaker was the word "abide". What exactly does that mean? According to Webster, it means to endure without yielding, to accept without objection, and to continue in a place. Some synonyms for abide are to stay, dwell, remain, and to stick around. All of the definitions I read talked about being patient, not leaving, and not objecting from staying. If Jesus says that He abides in us, and we in Him, then that means Jesus will be with us no matter what. As David described it in Psalms 139: 7-10, he said:

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heave, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, 
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me.
And Your right hand shall hold me. 

This shows us that no matter where we go in life, Jesus is there with us the whole time, because He abides in us no matter what. That means that if we are doing things that please Him, He is abiding in us. If we are being hard headed and not doing what He tells us, He is still abiding in us and vice versa. Once we accept Jesus into our heart, He will remain there whether you decide to grow spiritually or not. No matter how far away you may try to get from God, it just isn't possible. He's crazy about us and cares about us so much. God is everywhere at the same time looking out for you and speaking to you. That's how much He loves you, plus more! Surrender what you have to Him and He will take care of it in His will. "Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken" Psalm 55:22.

I hope this blog blessed you today. Be sure to share it with a friend, and remember that because of Jesus, you are living in grace!