The Word
“I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you” (
“Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift” (
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (
“Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you…” (
“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (
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The Backdrop
In the previous devotional (God Contact: He Sees) we discovered something about contact with God. When we have contact with God, we can count on experiencing at least one, if not all, of these things:
Thing 1: God Sees. He sees your predicament, your despair, your need.
Thing 2: God Gives. He gives you what you need—grace, gifts, forgiveness.
Thing 3: God Calls. He calls you to join Him in His mission.
The previous devotional focused on Thing 1. For now we’ll focus on Thing 2: God gives.
The What
Do This: Whenever God repeats a word or phrase in Scripture, it’s His way of stressing that something important is going on, something He wants you to notice. That’s why it’s a good habit to mark key words (which are often just repeated words) whenever you see them in the Bible. So, you may want to print this devotional (or at least the Scripture verses) and mark away.
As you read the passages below, don’t miss the key word give (or related words such as given and gift). Circle these words as you read, but see if you notice another repeated word closely connected to give.
Now This:
You probably noticed the word grace kept showing up alongside the word give. Reread the verses and draw a gift box over the word grace. Then look at your gift boxes and journal everything you learn about the connection between give and grace. Answer questions such as:
• How is it given?
• Who gives it?
• To whom is it given?
Going Inward
The connection between give and grace is a major theme of these verses, and these are just a sliver of the many verses in the Bible that make this connection. So why is this important? Take a minute to ask God that very question. Spend a few minutes praying about these verses, and journal anything God shows you about the connection between give and grace.
The So What
Experiencing God’s grace is easier than you may think. If you want it, you got it. If you feel as if you’re taking advantage of God by accepting His free gift, you are. That’s what God loves.
So, what do you need from God? Grace? Strength? Wisdom? He’s ready to give it to you. This devotional focused on grace, but you can substitute any other of God’s perfect gifts. When God made contact with Moses in
Finish your time by reading the passage above from your own Bible. After you’ve read the verses, spend some time experiencing something God is desperate to give you: His grace.
See Also:
