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No 'Case' That's
Too Hard for God
Why
Your Horrible Situation Isn't Too Big for God's Grace
Joyce Meyer
John 10:10 (AMP) has been a
favorite Scripture for me for many years now.
It
says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I
came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full,
till it overflows]."
This
verse opened my eyes to the truth that Jesus gave His life so I could have a
good life now, here in this world, and not just when I go to heaven someday.
But the question was: How can I
actually have abundant life in Christ?
There
were many years when I was a Christian, yet I struggled and strived much of the
time to live the way Jesus teaches us to live in God's Word.
I saw in 2 Corinthians 5:17 and
21 that I had become a new creation and was the righteousness of God in Christ,
but there were still many things about me that needed to change.
Honestly, I was a mess! I was
insecure, unhappy most of the time and hard to get along with.
My father had abused me for
years when I was growing up, and it had caused a lot of damage in my soul — my
mind, will and emotions.
But
when I saw that God wanted me to actually enjoy my daily life and have it "in
abundance [to the full, till it overflows]," it gave me hope that
there was more for me through my faith in Christ.
And it was possible by His
grace.
Grace, Grace and More Grace
A
common definition for grace is "God's undeserved favor" — something
God does for us that we don't deserve and can't earn.
But it's also power to become
more like Jesus and live in a way that shows His love to the world.
Ephesians 2:8 (ESV) says, "For by
grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is
the gift of God."
I
understood that salvation — the forgiveness of my sins — was a gift that was
given to me by God's grace.
What
I didn't know was that His grace is also the source of power to change and live
right.
James 4:6 (AMPC)
says, "But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit,
to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets
Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the
lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it)."
The same way we come into a personal
relationship with Christ — by grace through faith — is the same way we must
live after we're born again if we want to have the life Jesus died for us to
have.
And
He gives "more and more grace" as we need it, so it doesn't
matter what we've been through, what we've done, where we come from or whether
we got a good start in life.
The power of God can work in our lives to
bring healing, restoration and transformation to our souls, giving us the
freedom to fulfill our God-given destiny!
There's No 'Case'
That's Too Hard for God
Sometimes people ask,
"If I'm a new creation in Christ, then why am I still doing wrong
things and failing to measure up to the life Jesus teaches us to live in the
Bible?"
They
may feel they are a "special case" because of something that has
happened to them or something they've done.
It's easy to discount yourself and think, You
don't understand my situation. After everything that's happened, I can never be
healthy and whole.
And
after years of sexual, emotional and physical abuse at the hand of my father, I
understand that feeling.
But God's love for you is greater than your
mistakes, failures and any hurt you've experienced from what others have done
to you.
His
grace can work in your life, transforming you into the person He created you to
be.
I know this is true from personal experience.
Learning how to live by grace through faith in Christ has literally transformed
my life!
Now
I have real peace, joy, contentment and fulfillment in my everyday life. It's
truly amazing to live this way.
You can have this abundant life in Christ,
too. Make a decision to diligently seek Him ... spend time with Him in prayer
and Bible study.
Ask
Him to help you live by grace, and He will meet you where you are and show you
the way. God cares deeply for you, and He wants you to succeed in having the
life He's created you to live.
Joyce Meyer is an American Charismatic Christian author and
speaker and president of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Joyce and her husband Dave
have four grown children, and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is
headquartered near the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.
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