The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14
Overflowing Grace
Do you ever find yourself running on empty? Your energy is gone. Your enthusiasm is nowhere to be found. Hope seems elusive. You don’t know how you will get through the day or week.
What about your spiritual tank? Doubts and questions poke holes in your faith, and it begins to leak out. Guilt and shame pile on, leaving you feeling worn out and worthless. Maybe it’s not a constant feeling, but there’s that one incident. Death or illness struck your family without warning. You heard something that left you with real unanswered questions about your faith. You made a huge mistake, and someone was really hurt. You feel empty, confused, and worthless.
When the apostle Paul wrote the words for our devotion today, he knew that, by his own strength, he could accomplish nothing. His past was checkered. His present was far from perfect. His tank was empty.
But into his emptiness God poured grace. God’s unconditional love and mercy overflowed in Paul’s life. It overflowed when he met Jesus. Face-to-face with Jesus, he knew that he deserved to die for the way he had treated Christians, to suffer for the suffering he had caused.
But Paul said, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly.” God’s love overflowed to forgive him. As many sins as he had, God had more grace. Because of God’s overflowing love, Paul was forgiven.
With that forgiving grace, the Lord also poured out two more gifts – faith and love. Faith to believe that he was forgiven, and love that came from God and overflowed into the lives of those around him.
And all of this was “in Christ Jesus.” In Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God shows his overflowing grace for sinners. In his Word is the power to work faith in our hearts. In his love is the power and motivation to love others.
When you are feeling empty, God wants to fill you up. Look at Jesus’ cross and his empty tomb. There, his grace overflows to you and every undeserving sinner. There, he fills you up with the faith and love you need to live in him and for him every day.
Prayer:
Lord, when I’m feeling empty, fill me up with your grace. Amen.
