Today We Invite You to Reflect on the Grace of Good Friday
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
—Romans 5:8 (NIV)
Time to Think
"Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection." —Watchman Nee
Time to Act
Take time today to extend grace to someone who may not expect or deserve it.
Time to Pray
Merciful God, may I always remember the depth of Your love shown on Good Friday.
Mornings with Jesus
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
—Proverbs 4:25–27 (NIV)
I walked along a paved nature trail under towering trees. Suddenly, the ground seemed to rush upward, and I fell. I’d recently had some moments of weird dizziness, but that fall from an unexpected flash of vertigo sent me to vestibular training for balance. I learned a few techniques to use when I have a sense of being unbalanced. The two most helpful are to plant the soles of my feet firmly down as I walk and to keep my eyes on a focal point straight ahead.
Those tips work in a spiritual sense too. Jesus calls me to walk on a narrow path, keeping my feet planted firmly and my eyes fixed on Him. John 1:14 describes Jesus as being full of grace and truth. He spoke hard truths to those who needed to hear, but He also never hesitated to offer grace and mercy. After refusing to condemn the woman caught in adultery, He instructed her to stop sinning (John 8:3–11).
If I focus solely on the doctrine and instructions in the scriptures, I’ll probably lean toward legalism and rule following. If I emphasize mercy and compassion while ignoring biblical standards, I can fall into behavior that’s destructive and displeasing to Christ. The best way to keep my equilibrium in life is to imitate Jesus, by balancing truth and grace together.
—Dianne Neal Matthews
Faith Step: Search the Gospels for other examples of how Jesus displayed a balance of truth and grace. Ask Him to help you do the same.
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