Earlier this week, I felt overwhelmed by anxiety. The worry was mostly caused by financial pressure and by a nagging fear of failure. I tried my best to put into words my fears and frustrations, but my prayers were basically a series of groans.
So many doubts assaulted my mind: Will the money run out? Did I follow God’s plan correctly? Did I even hear God in the first place?
Then a clear picture popped into my mind, and I knew it was an impression from the Holy Spirit. I saw an aerial view of the street where I lived in the Atlanta suburbs during the 1970s. And I saw a huge semitruck parked in front of my house. I asked the Lord what He was showing me.
My mind was flooded with memories of what God did in my life when I lived in that house in 1976. I experienced a divine intervention in the fall of that year, just weeks before I was to leave home for college. I was filled with the Holy Spirit that September, and my life was radically redirected. The Lord saved me from following my own selfish plans, and He put me on the right path.
I asked the Lord why He was showing me a semitruck parked in front of my house on Autumn Hill Drive. He spoke to my heart: “It was when you lived in that house in 1976 that I brought you a load of my grace and mercy.”
I immediately thanked Him for all He had done for me. I was reminded of Psalm 103:4, which says in the International Children’s Bible: “He saves my life from the grave. He loads me with love and mercy.”
But then I saw another picture in my mind, and this time, the semitruck was parked in front of the house where I live now. The Lord said: “I am bringing you another load of my mercy and grace.” And I was reminded of Ephesians 1:7-8 (MEV), which says we have redemption and forgiveness “according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us.”
Again, I had to pour out my heart in thanksgiving. God’s grace doesn’t just come once. His grace is not rationed in small quantities. The word “lavish” means “to cause to abound and overflow.” What happened at Calvary did not end there. He opened a fountain then, but it continues to gush today. He brings His grace to us in truckloads, and then He brings more!
Perhaps you have wondered if God’s grace toward you is running out. Maybe you thought He was tired of your mistakes, upset about your doubts or frustrated with your inconsistency. Maybe you wondered if you misheard His divine direction. Maybe you even worried that He had disqualified you.
You can be encouraged today. His grace never stopped. We have received “grace upon grace” (John 1:16) and “the abundance of grace” (Rom. 5:17). Jesus told the apostle Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9). God will supply you with all the grace you need if you simply humble yourself and acknowledge your need for Him. James 4:6 tells us that God “gives more grace” when we come to Him in humility.
As you ponder the miracle of abundant grace, remember this:
His grace delivers you from your past. You should thank God daily that you aren’t where you would be if you hadn’t met Christ. You might not even be alive today if it weren’t for His merciful intervention! Be grateful that He broke the power of sin in your life, forgave you for your many wrong choices and freed you from guilt. You are a walking miracle because of what Jesus already did for you.
His grace empowers you for the present. Even though you often feel weak, and you know you are a flawed vessel, God’s grace works through you supernaturally. His Spirit lives in you. His anointing is a precious treasure that flows out of imperfect saints. When Jesus told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you,” He added, “for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Quit trying to be perfect; just relax, knowing that He is working in you.
His grace guides you into your future. We all reach moments when we feel we’ve hit a wall. Elijah saw God’s fire fall on Mount Carmel, but then he found himself in a cave of fear and depression. He even thought of ending his life. But then he heard the still, small voice of God again. He received such a fresh outpouring of grace that he outran Ahab and saw the promised downpour of rain.
This is not a time to give up. Spiritual warfare may be intense, and you may be painfully aware of your own flaws. But God’s grace is greater than the devil, his demons and your mistakes. Open your eyes, and you will see a truckload of grace heading your way.
