Catching Leaves
(Read Ephesians 2)
Grace is looked at by most Christians as a gift of God. It is the unmerited favor of God and free for all of us. I thought about grace on my run this morning. Why do we need it? At my very worst, God sees my best. Through my gossiping, occasional foul language, selfish behavior, and uninspiring past, God still sees His finished work in me. And even at my best, my renewed and re-energized faith still isn’t good enough to earn this favor from God because He sees something better. Why?
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 8-9
As the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians, grace isn’t something we can earn, generate, or purchase. The English use of the word “grace” in the New Testament is used about 150 times. Clearly, important to our understanding of God’s love for us.
On my run, the wind kept pushing this small leaf in front of me further and further away. If you know me, or are a runner yourself, you know that I had to pass it. I sped up and the wind pushed it more. Eventually, I passed it. This reminded me of the times on chilly autumn afternoons when, as a child, I would try to catch leaves falling from the sky from the tall oak trees above. I wasn’t always successful but when I did grab one, I felt special — blessed in a way. Not sure what the connection is with leaves, I just realized that it wasn’t what I did that made a difference, it’s that I tried. It was what was given to me but not of my own doing. Just picture a child running around the yard completely in utter joy focused only on the sky above, to what was falling from the sky. Did I catch some of the leaves? Sure, but I could just as easily not caught any, I needed help. Just like the grace we receive from God in Jesus Christ.
“We’ve forgotten that God showers his extraordinary gifts through ordinary means of grace, loves us through ordinary fellow image bearers, and sends us out into the world to love and serve others in ordinary callings.”
― Michael S. Horton
Thanks to Jesus, God loves us unconditionally. I’ve been thinking about all the times in my life that I’ve wronged people, either directly or without them knowing, and the price for my childish ways has been paid already — 10,000 times over. The feeling I get each morning when I wake up is WOW, thank you Lord. I have a new chance to do better this day, show God I’m obedient to His will, and serve others. Do non-believers feel this way each morning? I don’t know. I can’t answer for them, but I do know that God’s grace gives me this new start and without it, I would be living my life instinctively by how I feel, not by how I should love God and my neighbors. God’s grace gives us higher standards as believers to live by.
Most of the Bible foreshadows or is directly pointing to God’s grace towards His children. We might think we receive God’s grace because we’re special. When in reality, we receive this grace because He loves us. It has nothing to do with anything unique or superior about us as believers. God stripped himself of glory and came to earth in a poor, dirty, stable. He arrived as a helpless baby not as a conquering hero and left with nails in His arms to save us for something we couldn’t do ourselves. That love is grace. That grace is love.
When I was younger, some things came naturally to me. I wasn’t a prodigy in anyway, I wasn’t that good, I just had a gift for somethings that others had to work harder at. One of my coaches told my Mom that he wished I didn’t know I was as good as I was because I had horribly lazy habits. I didn’t work hard for anything back then. I also had a decent gift for painting. My best friend’s Dad was a Pastor who loved art. He liked a lot of my work too. One day, I decided to do a painting for him. I spent a really long time for about 80% of it, and then signed it, framed it, and walked it over to his house. Politely and gently he said, “Thank you, but it’s not finished. This is not the best you can do.” He knew me better than I did. He saw the finished product or at least, he had a much better idea of what that looked like than I cared to know. When I returned with it finished the next day, he embraced it.
I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:9-10
Any small “g” god, like money, sex, greed, envy, or pride can claim to serve us. Which one of them will pick us up, transport us from anywhere on earth to live a righteous life with God? What idol strengthens us? When reading this passage from Isaiah, just imagine Christ reciting it to his Mother or Mary Magdalen, or John, or even the other men on crosses next to Him.
There are so many examples of grace in our world, that if we stop to look through the darkness, we can see them. I often think back to the Amish community in Nickel Creek, Pennsylvania who not only forgave the killer who shot 10 young girls, but they also donated money to the killer’s widow and her three children. Did their forgiveness make the pain go away? I can almost say for a fact that it did not. What it did do was to shine a light on what God can do amidst the tragedy of our fallen world.
Of all my mistakes, I know that none are too far away from God for Him to retrieve me. Nothing gives me hope more than knowing someone has paid my penalty for me. I can never pray enough or tell God I’m sorry enough to cover my sins. The good news is that I don’t have to. Grace through Christ did it for me. When I see leaves falling from the sky, I don’t have to catch them anymore, I already chose to accept them as gifts from God.
The cross guarantees that even in your darkest moment God will never turn in disgust and walk away. There is no rebellion, no weakness, no foolishness, no evil of heart that the cross can’t defeat and grace can’t transform.
Paul David Tripp
Key Applications:
- Read Ephesians 2 – How does that make you feel as a believer? Do you appreciate the gift given to us? How do you show Jesus your appreciation?
- How many times have you tried to earn God’s favor? Be honest. I’m still trying, even when I know I don’t have to. Next time you catch yourself, praise Him. Thank Him. Give Him the glory.
- See if you notice God’s grace in the little things your life this week. The big things are obvious. The smaller, lesser things are equally important. Write down three and pray about them.
Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.