God’s Grace and Peace
We are blessed to have so many FAM Fellowship members who really enjoy studying God’s Word and then share what they’ve learned with the rest of us. The following study of God’s grace and peace, which was posted on the ladies’ private website today, is a good example of that, so I greatly appreciate Thursa’s willingness to let me share it here as well. Be blessed and encouraged!
“The other day I was reading a devotional (sorry, I can not remember exactly what I was reading) and ended up doing a search on bible gateway for grace and peace, where the following 18 versus popped up:
Romans 1:7
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
1 Corinthians 1:3
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:3
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:2
To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
2 Thessalonians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Timothy 1:2
To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Titus 1:4
To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Philemon 1:3
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:2
who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
2 Peter 1:2
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
2 John 1:3
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.
Revelation 1:5
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
As you can see, “grace and peace” are noted many times as coming from God. So I wondered exactly what “grace” is and how or why it is God gives it to us. I looked up the definition of “grace” in my little pocket dictionary and the first definition said, “unmerited divine assistance.” I then looked up peace “state of calm and quite.” So I’ve pondered this for the last few days and asked for God to show me exactly how it all fits together.
The compilation of all the things God has shared with me about this is that by looking to and for God in everything, ESPECIALLY our marriage restoration, He will send us His awesome grace (divine assistance). That is God WILL step in and do just as He has promised and restore our marriages. We’ve shared so many times how we see that God is on our side, if we just let go and let Him work…allow for God’s grace. When we do, with God’s grace (divine assistance), He also gives us His peace. As it says in Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. God’s peace is something that no one can understand. So we shouldn’t be trying to understand why or how God is moving in our marriages, we should just have peace (calm and quite) in knowing that God IS working His grace!
And lastly, there’s the “unmerited” part of the definition of grace. Our purpose on earth is for God’s glory. We have not and can not “earn” our marriage restorations. God’s glory is the only reason our marriage restorations will manifest. The divine assistance in the restorations are unmerited by us and only meant for His Glory. THAT is our purpose; THAT is our marriage restoration purpose – for God’s glory. So we should again just know the restorations WILL come! As so many times we’ve seen in the post, this will happen in God’s perfect timing. Why His timing? Because it is perfect and He knows how to make His glory shine perfectly in each and every one of our restorations. God has already spoken and promised our restorations and each one of them will shine with His glory! From a needle to socks, they will ALL shine with His glory! So we must allow His grace to work and have the peace of knowing that His ways and timing are perfect.
So to each of you, may you look to God in everything and to you, may God send His wonderful grace and peace!”