As I am writing this I am on day four of Covid…Yay. Something about being sick though is that it makes you realize how much you need grace.
You need grace because you aren’t able to play with your kids. You need grace because you can’t be intimate with your partner or even be around them. Grace for the laundry and dishes piling up, grace for the groceries that need to be ordered, and grace for having to hide when the rest of the family is enjoying family time. Not to mention the grace you need for yourself for feeling guilty about all the above.
But I noticed something when reading Psalms 119. A simple line that I could have sworn I read already in Psalms.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your way with those who love your name.Psalm 119:132
Here is why…
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.Psalm 25:16
I entreat your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.Psalm 119:58
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.Psalm 116:5
There are so many more verses like this, but you can already see how the Psalmists were constantly reaching for and begging for God’s grace.
Personally, I’m thankful for it! Passages like this point out to me that the Psalmists were flawed. That they NEEDED grace just as much as I need grace. That they argued with their spouses, allowed tasks to fall behind, lied, failed, and had FLAWS. And yet, they constantly point to how gracious God is because they understood the significance of the grace they had been given.
It’s not human nature to be gracious. We tend to want justice and even vengeance sometimes over grace. But God shows time and time again that He is full of grace and mercy. He can handle when we aren’t are best and can help us find the grace to give others and ourselves to become better through Him.
God, I love that no matter how messy I am, you are always full of grace. Your grace is seen so clearly throughout scripture. It’s in the requests of Your Psalmists, the praise of their words, and even in the way you constantly saved your people even when they didn’t deserve it. God please never give up on saving me. Never give up on saving us as a body. Grow us, God, with each failure, and help us to worship you more and to give you more. God thank you for accepting us, flawed and all. In Jesus Name. Amen.
I challenge each of you to find a verse about grace and write it somewhere for you to see this week. Add it to the bathroom mirror, your planner, anywhere. Then comment below what verse you chose.
Heather is a contributing writer for Shaken & Stirred. She is a believer, a wife, and a mother to a wonderful (and sometimes crazy) toddler. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and listening to podcasts. She can usually be taking care of the home and playing on the floor with her daughter.
Photo by Tracey Hocking on Unsplash