Grace, peace available in 2014
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Editor,
It is so very difficult to sort out of our daily experiences the things that hinder us from those things which truly help us. Today I read a very familiar line from a book that I’ve treasured for more years than I can remember. This sentence appears in all nine letters which were sent to small groups of folks who had chosen “The Way” (Acts 24:14 and 24 NLT), folks like ourselves who needed encouragement as they faced uncertain days. These are the words which I read: “Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7) Just what I needed for today and this New Year, “grace and peace.”
We are living in tough times. These dark days are becoming more and more dismal as Americans disregard God’s instructions, the very foundation upon which our founders established this Republic. The total abandonment of moral values and healthful living is frightening. What will our children and grandchildren encounter and future generations face before Jesus comes? We need help. We need God’s grace and peace.
Grace and peace come from God our Father. Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9a). God is our Father, holy, loving, present, compassionately aware of all our circumstances, and ever pursuing his purposes for our eternal good. God is in charge even as his world spins out a woeful tale of sinful debauchery and self-destruction.
The line from Romans 1, reminded me that Father and Son are co-equal, that Jesus is indeed God; “the Father and I are one” (John 10:30). We come to God our Father through Jesus Christ (John 14:6, “No one can come to the Father except through me” NLT). As we come to Father through Jesus, we experience grace and peace. Grace assures us of all the blessings a Father God can provide for his children; peace means well-being in everything, including my relationship with God and man.
Thank God that grace and peace can be experienced through all the days of 2014.
Harvey A. Town
Polson
