So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing. 1 Kings 18:20, 21

The kindness and love of God for us is really beyond our understanding. In the days of Elijah, believing in God was not the people’s problem, but their belief in God did not impact their decisions, their goals or their morals. Their life was focused on what they thought was good for them, which was mostly money and the forms of wealth. Yet focused on all that they thought was important, life was still a mess at home and in the community, even though they believed in God. The power of his grace is that it makes belief alive and changes thoughts about God into love for him and others. In this place freedom is found in our relationship with the Lord and those around us. Here there is no sorrow, no regret and no sense of famine in the details of our life. Today may you let his grace express life in and through you. Grace will refresh you in your emotions and thoughts in such a way that the pleasant look of encouragement will become who you are. If the LORD is God, follow him. This is meant to be much more than thoughts, it is the refreshment in life.

Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? Romans 2:4  

The nature we are born with gives us the ability to be intolerant, impatient and at times less than kind towards those around us, even those of our own family. With this comes condemnation about ourselves, others and even God. The beauty of being overwhelmed by his grace in Jesus Christ is that we have the freedom to live without this condemnation, guilt and even shame, which changes all the relationships around us, especially our view of God. Repentance does not come from the feelings of our natural nature, it comes as an act of worship because of his grace (his love and kindness expressed and given without condemnation, guilt or shame). This being true, we have joy in the details of our lives because of the results of repentance. For repentance is a change in our emotions, thinking and activities along our daily journey. This change gives glory to God, refreshment to others and a blessing to us. Today, may you enjoy the freedom of his kindness that gives you a brand new day in your emotions, thinking and activities. Let his grace overwhelm you along your journey and you will experience that freedom of emotions called grace. You and everyone around you will like this day. Thanksgiving, praise and rejoicing will be just who you are.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:16-18

Here in God’s breath we have a prayer given so that we might enjoy our relationship with the Lord and find out that our worship is much more beautiful than something we just do on Sunday. In worship, prayer can be described as the oxygen of the soul. Worship is from the inside out and we find that it is founded in love and therefore has no condemnation at all. When we realize this love of God in the depth of our being, we begin to enjoy and live in his grace. Growing in grace can be defined as the decreasing frequency of sin and therefore there is no condemnation. Today may you find your heart established in his love, for you, your family and your friends. Your expressions, your voice and your opinions in this place will delight you and everything about your journey will become uplifting for anyone who meets you. May those around you be able to grasp the love of Christ because of you.

You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14, 16 NLT

One of the beautiful benefits of God’s grace in our lives is the freedom we have in letting. His grace not only gives life but the power to let. The illustration of the life of grace here is seen as light, light that can be seen in all directions like a city on a hill. But this light is also now our character which is the character of grace. The power of his grace is now the freedom to “let” this new life be seen and heard in the midst of all our opportunities. Then men and women will see and hear through us the refreshment of the life of Christ and begin to praise our heavenly Father. This refreshes families, neighborhoods and communities. Oh, it also blesses us and lets us enjoy the wonders of his grace. Today may you find that what you are “letting” is like a light shining on a hilltop and everyone around you, including you will be blessed.

Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT

The nature of sin will produce by-products that at best are filthy. There has never been a family, a community, a state or a nation that has become refreshing and renewing when these things are the habits of its people. Grace comes in right at this point to remove sin's power and give us a freedom in our nature that will bring thanksgiving and delight. Grace is the power of God's love in Jesus the Christ to release us from habits that are hurtful by nature and produce habits that have their foundation in God's love, where there will never be any regret or shame. Today may you allow the strength of his grace to set you free from habits that do not bless you or anyone else. In his grace you have the right as sons and daughters to praise, bless and encourage through your actions and words. This freedom is now and forever yours because of his grace kindness and encouragement in you.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21,22

It is one thing to believe that there is a God or to believe in God. The beauty of grace, which is God's love given without condemnation, is meant to change how we think of God and therefore how we feel and think about ourselves. Grace lets us know God in a way that refreshes and brings the desire to express joy and thanksgiving. The man or woman that lives joyful and thankful automatically give glory to God. Today may you delight in finding ways to express joy and thanksgiving. Let God's grace express through your words and expressions the beauty of a thankful heart. In this place you will always be known as an encourager and a blessing. Some of the most difficult situations are changed with expressions of joy and thanksgiving.

Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:21, 22 NLT

What is so amazing about God’s grace is that it gives something to us that we cannot ever accomplish by ourselves. It is called freedom or known as a new life. This new life is given through what God promised his love would do through Jesus the Christ. Sin can never love; it only lusts because it is always self-seeking. Now here is the kicker, the freedom of God’s grace lets us choose how we will respond to our opportunities. We can now see clearly the difference between new life and being a prisoner. Bless those who curse you or curse those who curse you. Which one lives in freedom or new life? Today let your heart relax and be refreshed in who you are because of Jesus Christ. His grace lets you choose what direction your thoughts and emotions will go. One will give you a sweet relief and one will strap you to the ground. We now know why we sing – “Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me.” Enjoy!

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him. Psalm 92:12-15

What an interesting journey life is. We can hardly wait to grow up and become an adult. But along that journey we seem to have some less than stellar feelings about what we look like and who we are. It is in this condition that grace can renew, refresh and give great freedom. For in the freedom of grace we find a joy and strength that comes from the very life of God, it is called eternal. No matter what our age is, grace can and does make our life new every morning with the joy of thanksgiving. Today may you enjoy the promise of grace in your life. You are the expressions, the voice and the attitude of God's love to everyone around you. What you say and do in the grace of our Lord can bring a beautiful delight to everyone you meet and at the same time let you feel brand new.

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

One of the beautiful things along our journey through life is when we feel something and we describe it as feeling it with all our heart. This is not an academic statement, it is something that touches the very fiber of our being. The beauty of God's grace is that it takes our belief in the Lord from the academic into a relationship with him that touches the very soul of who we are. Grace impacts our heart like nothing else can and in this place our desires and emotions become free to express love, kindness and encouragement without the feeling of embarrassment. Here our marriage, our children and our relationships are refreshed in ways that cause us to praise and give thanks to the Lord. On this new day that has been given to you as a gift from the Lord, may you enjoy this freedom of his grace. May your heart be refreshed and encouraged along this new journey and may he then give to you the desires of your heart as you delight yourself in him. In this place there is no regret or sorrow.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

There is not a religion in the world that gives any soul rest; in fact all of them pile on burdens. Their picture of God is harsh at best and always willing to find fault with you. But the grace of God found in and through Jesus Christ has nothing to do with religion. His grace has no stress, no weariness and no condemnation of any kind. Grace heals brokenness, anxiety and feeling of judgment of ourselves and others. The grace of Jesus the Christ is always open for our life every moment of every day. Today may you experience the full pleasure of his grace for you. Wherever you may be, may his grace embrace you so that you may know emotions and thoughts of gentleness, rest and blessing. His life, his goodness and his joy are now yours because of his grace.