How Gracious is God?
How gracious is God? He brings light to the earth by sunrise and sunset. They aren’t harsh like a bright light flipped on in a dark room. They don’t startle with the abruptness of a power outage. Sunsets and sunrises don’t disrupt; they grow. They let us adjust. They don’t push, but they point us to daybreak and to day end, letting us know that change is coming.
How gracious is God? He gives us the gift of love and care through relationships: family, friends, babies, spouses, neighbors, teachers, even strangers. He gives us words to display kindness, to celebrate, and to encourage. He gives us tears to express emotion when words are not deep enough and laughter to re-kindle our joy.
How gracious is God? He bestows us with senses in order to enjoy his creation. He gives us rest and sabbath and vacation, books and humor and delicious meals to help us slow down and keep perspective in the midst of struggles and the demands of life. He gives us sleep and new mornings to experience his mercy and faithfulness over and over again.
How gracious is God? He plants seeds of his love and truth in our hearts, seeds of the good news of the Gospel, and he grows them into spiritual fruit that lasts. He bids us to come to him with nothing and leave with everything. He accepts our surrender and shows us that in Him we are actually free! He replaces our fear and anxiety with life and peace.
How gracious is our God? He inclines his ear to listen. He knows what we need even before we ask for it. He offers forgiveness. He gives us refuge. He comes to save, not to condemn. He is goodness, and he offers us the good life, now and forever.
How gracious is our God?
"The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” Psalm 145:8-9 [ESV]
