Strengthened by Grace

AM Psalm 80 • PM Psalm 77, [79]
Gen. 25:19-34 • Heb. 13:1-16 • John 7:37-52

Hebrews 13:1-16 is full of descriptions of what is pleasing to God. It isn’t a list of dos and don’ts. It is full of gentle reminders of what we could do to please God. There are promises from God: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” “The Lord is my helper.”

But of course, I started looking at it as a list of what I should/must do to have the assurance that the Lord is my helper, that God will never leave me or forsake me. I look at the list and see some and go, “Oh, I can do that.” But there are others I look at and go, “I can’t do that.” And then I read, “it is well for the heart to be strengthened by grace.” And in another translation, “it is good that our souls should gain their strength from the grace of God.” (New English Bible)

My heart and my soul gain their strength from the grace of God. It isn’t a matter of will power or determination from me. There is no fault or failure. There is only the process of trying to do what is pleasing to God while supported by the grace of God.

Thanks be to God!

Written by Jacqui Brandli

Cradle Episcopalian. Born and raised in Fayetteville. Away for many years. Glad to be home.