It's The GRACE For Me! Part 2
Download MP3Welcome to a place of peace, hope, and divine encouragement. This is Joy in Every Step with your host, beloved preacher, retired teacher, and faithful servant of the Lord, Sarita Bernadette. Each week, Sarita shares heartfelt messages rooted in the word of God, filled with wisdom, joy, and the gentle reminder that God cares deeply for you. Whether you're walking through the valleys or dancing on the mountaintops, Sarita's voice will guide you back to his promises step by step. So open your heart, settle your spirit, and take the next step in faith with Joy in Every Step.
Sarita Bernadette:Hi, I'm Sarita Bernadette, and welcome back to another episode of Joy in Every Step. I'm glad you're here. In the last episode, we began looking at the grace of God. We talked about how God sees us through the sacrifice of his only son. That sacrifice was made for us on the cross.
Sarita Bernadette:That was God's saving grace at work. The saving grace allowed us to be redeemed and brought back into a right relationship with God. Paul reminded us of this in Ephesians two: eight-nine, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing it is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Grace is God's unmerited favor. Remember the Greek word, karis, favor, kindness, and blessing.
Sarita Bernadette:So last week, we zeroed in on Paul's story in the New Testament. You'll recall, again, Paul is the apostle who wrote at least 13 books of the New Testament. His letters, or epistles as they are known, have served to teach, inform, and inspire so many believers down through the years. Paul completed his mission. It was hard, but he was able to do it.
Sarita Bernadette:That was also grace. The grace of God was on Paul's life. You see, the grace of God enables us to do the things God has created us to do. God graces us to fulfill our assignments here on earth. I believe these two scriptures are instrumental in understanding this.
Sarita Bernadette:By the way, both were authored by the Apostle Paul. Here they are. First Corinthians fifteen ten, But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Let's read that in The Message translation: But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am.
Sarita Bernadette:And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. Then there's the familiar Philippians four thirteen, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Sarita Bernadette:The Living Bible puts it this way, For I can do everything God asked me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. Those two scriptures highlight the fact that the grace of God is with us, he's gracious, He is the one giving us the work to do and the energy to do it. And finally, we can do everything he asks of us when we depend upon him for strength and for power. Now, I'll just bet, as I read through that short list, you nodded your head in agreement. You might even recall a time when God's grace enabled you to accomplish something big.
Sarita Bernadette:Enabling grace is what we call the power God gives us to do what we could never do on our own. This is God's favor, kindness, and blessing. It's on us as we go about doing the work that he has charged us to do. Those of us who are parents depend upon this enabling grace daily. When our children are young, we need grace to understand and meet their needs as they grow and develop.
Sarita Bernadette:Each stage is different and each child is different, right? Without God's favor, kindness, and blessing, we wouldn't be able to do an effective job. And news flash, the job doesn't end when they become adults. They'll always be our children and we still need grace to parent them even at that stage. In our careers or vocations, we probably call on God for grace as well, maybe even daily, right?
Sarita Bernadette:You need the grace of God to complete that list of tasks on the calendar. And often, that job description that you signed on for has changed over time. And if we're being honest, it continues to expand and evolve, right? There are times in our lives when we're charged with doing something new, something new for us, something we haven't done before, or perhaps even creating something from the ground up, actually building something. When we find ourselves in a position of that nature, the task can seem daunting.
Sarita Bernadette:You certainly need God's grace and his mercy for an assignment like that. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
Sarita Bernadette:This scripture from the third chapter of Lamentations takes on a whole new meaning once we realize how much we need his grace. So, grace isn't just forgiveness, it's fortification. Think about it. God's grace does indeed save us. But then it goes on to do even more.
Sarita Bernadette:It fortifies us. Fortification is a means of defense or reinforcement built to strengthen against attack. In the word of God, fortifications symbolize or represent spiritual strength and divine protection. God himself acts as the fortress for us as believers. He provides us with refuge and safety from spiritual onslaughts and adversity.
Sarita Bernadette:Has anyone ever built one of those forts as a child? I know I did and so did my son. He'd grab every pillow and blanket within reach and erect this huge fort. Then he'd wall himself in and read and read and read behind the coziness and protection of that place. Speaking of fortification and God's enabling grace, there's this great story in the Bible about a man named Nehemiah.
Sarita Bernadette:Some of you are familiar with Nehemiah. This story is so full of symbolism and inspiration. I can't possibly do it justice in this brief amount of time, but we're going to get what we need today. This accounting is found in the book of Nehemiah, beginning in the first chapter. In chapter one, Nehemiah, a Jewish leader and prophet who served as the cup bearer in the court of King Artaxerxes around April, he inquires about the Jews who had gone back to Jerusalem after being exiled in Babylon, and he gets some news that saddens him.
Sarita Bernadette:He's saddened by the news that things weren't going well there and that the wall of Jerusalem was still down and the gates had even been burned. So the Lord placed a burden on his heart, and Nehemiah began to fast and to pray. He worshiped, cried, and he tells the Lord that he wants forgiveness for the people of Israel. He asked the Lord to forgive them. He goes on to remind God of his promise to his people.
Sarita Bernadette:And that promise was conditioned on the nation of Israel repenting and obeying the Lord's commands. So he asked for favor. He asked for forgiveness and he asked for favor. He asked for grace. He asked for grace when he goes before the king.
Sarita Bernadette:Nehemiah knew it was going to take God's grace and favor to accomplish this mission that he'd laid on his heart. Four months go by and finally Nehemiah goes before the king. Ephesians two ten reads, and this is The Message version, For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them. Listen, beloved, God has already prepared the good things, the assignments, the missions that we are to carry out. Grace has already gone before us.
Sarita Bernadette:So in chapter two, while Nehemiah was serving the king, the king asked him, Why so sad? What is it that you need? That was grace. The Lord had already prepared the king's heart. Nehemiah said a quick prayer and then he asked the king for favor and permission to go to Judah to rebuild the wall.
Sarita Bernadette:He even took it a step further and asked the king to send a word ahead of him to make it easier for him to travel and to make the supplies he needed available to him. The king granted the requests and Nehemiah set off on his mission. Now, when Nehemiah arrived on-site, he quietly went about his mission with the army, officers, and all the troops that the king had sent along to protect him. Fortification. I guarantee you, when you say yes, God will go over and above what you request.
Sarita Bernadette:God will protect his plans. Nehemiah examined the wall and determined it was indeed in ruins. But all was well. With God in charge, he knew the mission couldn't be stopped. Take a lesson there, beloved.
Sarita Bernadette:God's grace takes care of all the details. Nehemiah informed the city officials of his plans and they agreed to get to work. Just like that, Nehemiah had help. Beloved, don't be afraid to ask for help. There are people waiting to join you on the mission God has given you.
Sarita Bernadette:So, the people began working together. When the naysayers showed up, he told them to mind their business. Chapter three of Nehemiah explains in detail how he doled out responsibilities among the Jewish people. The various families had their own assignments and their own tasks along the wall and in the ruins. Nehemiah surrounded himself with like minded people who were willing to work.
Sarita Bernadette:Grace. When confronted with opposition, Nehemiah remained dedicated and focused. When word of an attack came, Nehemiah protected the project by assigning half the people to work while the other half stood guard. God even gave Nehemiah an additional strategy that involved sounding a trumpet whenever their enemies threatened to attack. Nehemiah four seventeen-nineteen.
Sarita Bernadette:And the masons and laborers worked with weapons within easy reach beside them or with swords belted to their sides. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm. The work is so spread out, I explained to them, and we are separated so widely from each other that when you hear the trumpet blow, you must rush to where I am, and God will fight for us. God allows us to listen for strategy, and he will keep us abreast of all we need to know. Our job is to watch, pray, and work the assignment.
Sarita Bernadette:At one point, Nehemiah found himself in the middle of some unfair financial practices. God gave him the grace to handle the matter, and he went right back to work on that wall. When yet again, Nehemiah was facing various plots and threats from his enemies in the region, he refused to run and hide. He prayed and asked God to keep an eye on his enemies. Take another lesson, beloved.
Sarita Bernadette:Nehemiah and the people continued the work and soon, in just fifty two days, the wall was completed. He stated that he did it without taking any payment at all. He documented how God provided for the people and the workers during the project and for the entire twelve year period that he served as governor there in Judah. Grace. I'll share this scripture again.
Sarita Bernadette:First Corinthians fifteen ten, and this is the Passion translation: But God's amazing grace has made me who I am, and his grace to me was not fruitless. In fact, I worked harder than all the rest, yet not in my own strength, but God's. From his empowering grace, for his empowering grace is poured out upon me. Friends, there is joy in knowing God's grace will enable us to do what he has called us to do. You've been listening to Joy in Every Step.
Sarita Bernadette:I'm Sarita Bernadette and I'm grateful you chose to spend some time here with me. You can find Joy in Every Step wherever you listen to your podcasts and please give us a follow there. Check out our website at joyineverystep.org.
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