Marie’s daily verse: For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20 NLT).

DAILY DEVOTION, January 13, 2025

We spent eight weeks reflecting on God’s grace in our Wednesday Bible study. Paul cautions us in 2 Corinthians 6:1, “not to receive the grace of God in vain.” You receive the grace of God by trusting in Jesus Christ, receiving Him as your Lord and Savior. If you fail to live under the shadow of divine grace, you have received it in vain. Thus, you frustrate His grace if you wallow in guilt over your sins, refusing to believe in God’s gracious forgiveness. If you live under a dark cloud of fear, you are not benefitting from God’s grace. If you go through your toils and tribulations and allow them to drag you down into depression or a negative mindset, you have set aside God’s grace. And if you have the mistaken notion that you can do something to earn eternal life, you received the grace of God in vain.

God’s grace is truly transformative. It does miraculous things in our lives, turning our fears into faith and our troubles into triumphs. It guarantees us an eternal future. Remind yourself daily, “I believe in a gracious God. I will live each day trusting in His grace. Whenever troubles or fears arise, I will not give in to negative human emotions. I will trust in my gracious God.” If you practice living under grace, you will agree with John Newton, who wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace.” Grace is truly transformative and inspiring.

Father, I pray that I will not allow negative experiences to quench Your grace. I do not want to be among those who receive God’s grace in vain. I believe You are a gracious God, and I can always count on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.