Amazing Grace

Day two hundred sixty

I am filled with love for my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ today.  My prayer was filled with gratitude for the ability to feel their love in my life and the lives of those around me.  I also asked that I might be an example of their love in the lives of others.  May others see my love for the Lord in my words and deeds today!

2 Samuel 9
A story is told about Fiorello LaGuardia, who, when he was mayor of New York City during the worst days of the Great Depression and all of WWII, was called by adoring New Yorkers 'the Little Flower' because he was only five foot four and always wore a carnation in his lapel. He was a colorful character who used to ride the New York City fire trucks, raid speakeasies with the police department, take entire orphanages to baseball games, and whenever the New York newspapers were on strike, he would go on the radio and read the Sunday funnies to the kids. One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor turned up at a night court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself.

Within a few minutes, a tattered old woman was brought before him, charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick, and her two grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop the charges. "It's a real bad neighborhood, your Honor." the man told the mayor. "She's got to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson."

LaGuardia sighed. He turned to the woman and said "I've got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions--ten dollars or ten days in jail." But even as he pronounced sentence, the mayor was already reaching into his pocket. He extracted a bill and tossed it into his famous sombrero saying: "Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit; and furthermore I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

So the following day the New York City newspapers reported that $47.50 was turned over to a bewildered old lady who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving grandchildren, fifty cents of that amount being contributed by the red-faced grocery store owner, while some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations, and New York City policemen, each of whom had just paid fifty cents for the privilege of doing so, gave the mayor a standing ovation.

That is the essence of grace!  It recognizes our wretched condition; it pays our debt and it gives us more then we could ever have imagined.  No wonder it’s called amazing!

This chapter in 2 Samuel provides one of the clearest pictures of grace in the scriptures.  God uses David as a living illustration of what grace is all about. 

"Any"

David says that he wants to show “kindness for Jonathan’s sake.”  The word for “kindness” is also translated “goodness, mercy, favor, and loving kindness.”  It is the Old Testament equivalent to the New Testament word “Grace.”  Grace is often defined as “the unmerited love and favor of God toward the undeserving.”  Grace is one person accepting another in a positive manner in spite of the unworthiness of the person being accepted.

David desires to extend grace to a member of Saul’s family.  This is amazing in light of the fact that in those days, when a new king came to power, he usually destroyed every member of the former king’s household, in an effort to prevent any rebellion by that family.  David had the right to execute judgment, but he chose to demonstrate grace instead. David did this, not because the house of Saul deserved it, but because of his relationship with Jonathan, and because of two promises he had made years before.  David had promised both Jonathan and Saul that he would not totally destroy their offspring (1 Sam. 20:13-17; 1 Sam. 24:20-22).  So, this grace is extended because of another.

When David decides to extend grace, he does so without any limits.  He is looking for “any that is left of the house of Saul.”  It did not matter that the house of Saul was the house of his predecessor and bitter enemy, David was willing to extend grace to “any” member of the house of Saul.  The key word is “any”.  David was not looking for people who met a certain criteria. But, anyone who was of the family of Saul was a candidate for grace. 

Thankfully God's grace knows no boundaries!  It extends to all men regardless of their past, their race, their social standing, or their deeds.  God does not reach out to save the righteous, but the sinner (Mark 2:17).  God extends His grace to “whosoever will” (Matt. 11:28; John 7:37). You see, no one deserves it; but all can have it.  That is what makes grace so amazing!

Condition

David discovers that one of Jonathan’s sons is still living.  He also hears the news that this man is crippled.  Yet, the response of grace is not to ask what kind of man he is, or even how bad he is crippled.  Grace does not concern itself with the man’s background, his surroundings, his abilities, his appearance, his future potential, etc. The response of grace is to ask “Where is he?”  As soon as David hears where this man is, he sends his servants to “fetch” him.

So it is with the grace of God.  He does not look upon us and concern Himself with our crippled spiritual condition.  He looks upon us though the eyes of grace.  He sees us exactly like we are, but He loves us in spite of what we are.  He knows all about our past, our problems and our potential, yet He responds by drawing us to Him anyway!  Again, amazing!

Expanded

When Mephibosheth came to David, he did not get what he deserved, he received grace.  When he received grace, he also received more blessings than he could have ever imagined.  Grace was expanded. 

The same is true for all those who except God’s grace. When grace is extended and embraced, everything changes!  

We are promised security (John 6:37-40; John 10:28; 1 Pet. 1:5)

We are promised a home in Heaven (John 14:1-3) 

We are promised that our needs will be met (Phil. 4:19, Matt. 6:25-34)  

We are promised His presence all the way home to Heaven (Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20) 

That is what grace gives to all those who embrace it. I can think of one word to describe these blessings, Amazing!

Grace is one of my favorite topics to study.  Every time I get into it I learn something new and I am reminded of God's love for His people.  In some of my notes from a previous study session I found this quote:

Between here and heaven, every minute that the Christian lives will be a minute of grace.

~ C.H. Spurgeon

What a great way to look at our lives; every minute filled with grace!  Somehow it makes my day  better thinking about it this way!  Every day can be an amazing day filled with grace!