In 2009, Apple came out with the slogan, “There’s an app for that”. This commercial promoted the various applications available to the user of their new iPhone.
If you want to do your banking with your phone? There’s an app for that! Do you want to shop online? There’s an app for that! If one wanted to order concert tickets, there was an app for that too. A whole new world opened to us, that is now commonplace for a person to do more things from their cell phone than could be done from a computer.
I don’t think that was an original idea though. About 2000 years ago, God provided a grace to us for everything we have need of!
Hebrews 4:16 encourages the reader to “Come boldly before the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.”
This scripture promises mercy, which is forgiveness, and grace, which is empowerment, in our time of need!
Our walk of faith is a walk of grace. We are saved by grace, and we continue needing grace throughout our journey. Grace is the power to be and do what we can’t be and do by ourselves. The gospel of John tells us that Jesus provides grace upon grace. We need different graces for different things. There’s a grace at salvation, an enabling to become children of God. That’s the greatest grace of all!
The Apostle Paul said, “I’m an Apostle by the grace of God.” He didn’t claim his education or influence was the base of this calling. It was the grace of God, that enabled him. He was the same author who credited the grace of God for helping him through his hard times as well. The Lord spoke to Paul and said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
Paul describes many of his trials including beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, threats of death, robbers, false brethren and so on. He claims to have overcome these difficult times by the grace of God.
The Apostle Peter called the grace of God multi-faceted. I think of a diamond when I read this verse. A diamond does not become beautiful until it is cut, or faceted. It takes the facets or cut angles to collect light from different directions and feed the light into the diamond causing them to reflect internally off each other, creating the brilliance. When we accept the grace of God into our lives, in multiple areas of our lives, there’s a similar brilliance, or glory that reflects from our lives.
There’s a grace for all things we need help with. The only prerequisite to receive that grace is humility. Scripture informs us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Displaying humility is simply recognizing our need for help and asking. What do you need help with? There’s a grace for that! Struggling in a relationship? There’s a grace for that! Need wisdom for your future? there’s a grace for that!
So, if you’re feeling weak in an area of your life, remember that God’s power is made perfect in (our) weakness. But there’s an empowering grace that’s available for the asking.
What’s a one-word definition for grace? Help! God offers help as we boldly and assuredly come before him in prayer. Whatever we need, THERE’S A GRACE FOR THAT!