Who Cares?

Old Testament: Zechariah 1 & 2

Poetry: Psalm 142

New Testament: Matthew 28

In my opinion, David had an amazing life.  They chose him to be king!  That’s something pretty impressive we can’t say (unless there are any kings reading this).  He was a hero as a young child when he took down Goliath.  That was such an impressive feat that someone made a song about him that we sang in Sunday School all the time.  Has anyone made a song about you?  Probably not (unless you are one of these people:  Delilah, Billie Jean, Roxanne, Jude, Mickey, Jack and Diane, Mrs. Robinson, and some others).  David had his ups and downs in life, but he seemed to have it together pretty well.  It was a bit surprising to hear what he had to say in Psalms 142.

Apparently, he was hiding out in a cave when he wrote this, so he probably wasn’t having one of his better days.  He starts out by crying out to God for mercy and telling him his trouble.  He says his spirit is growing faint and that no one is concerned about him.  In verse 4, he says that no one cares for his life.  He tells God to listen to his cry because he was in desperate need.  Clearly, David was down and out and feeling very alone.  If that state of mind can happen to someone like David, it could happen to anyone.  We all know that millions of people every day feel like this; probably some of you reading this.  There are a lot of hurting people in our world.

It hit me to write about this topic because it is two days before Christmas, and I think a lot of these lonely feelings are magnified on the holidays for many, especially at Christmastime.  We know the true meaning of Christmas has to do with the birth of Christ and you can celebrate that on your own, but the holiday has also become an important time for family for many.  There are many family traditions celebrated and family gatherings taking place.  This is how I knew I had cousins.  But not everyone has a great family situation, and some have little to no family at all.  Or maybe they don’t live anywhere near their family.  Unfortunately, holidays can make people feel a lot like what David was feeling.

In verse 7, David compared his situation to being in prison and asked God to set him free so that he could go back to praising him.  However, it was the end of verse 7 that caught my attention.  David ends by saying that the righteous will gather around him because of God’s goodness to him.  There may be someone crying out to God at this moment because they feel lonely and think nobody cares about them.  That person needs some righteous people to gather around them, so they know God is still good.  You and I need to be on the lookout for these people and be willing to sacrifice some time to surround them with some love.  I also have a suggestion for anyone who is feeling lonely themselves; be on the lookout for others who are hurting and be willing to sacrifice some time to surround them with some love.

Obviously, there are countless ways you can make a difference in someone’s life.  It is not difficult to figure that part out; the difficult part can be following through and doing it.  I challenge you to find someone that could use some lifting up.  I doubt it will take long to think of someone, but then move beyond the thinking to the doing.

Reflection Questions:

Have you ever stopped to think about those around you or are you too busy with your own Christmas celebration?  Can you think of someone who may be having a tough Christmas because they are feeling lonely?

What are some practical things you could do to let someone hurting know they are loved?

-Rick McClain

Oops

Old Testament: Haggai 1-2

Poetry: Psalm 141

New Testament: Matthew 27

Yesterday’s devotion was written to those with a strong faith.  Today’s devotion is written for everybody else.  Perhaps, some of you are a bit wobbly in your faith and have drifted away from God.  Some of you may not have decided yet to live for God instead of yourself.  I suppose it is possible some of you have no interest in becoming a Christian, but I am guessing most of those folks wouldn’t be reading this.  In Matthew 27, we read about the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross and the crazy events that happened right after he died.

Strangely enough, it was the religious leaders that schemed to find Jesus guilty so they could put him to death.  It’s not easy finding someone guilty when they never have done anything wrong in their life, but they managed to concoct a way to make it happen.  They believed in the Old Testament scriptures, but somehow ignored the many writings about a messiah that would be coming.  They also saw miracles, or at the very least heard about them from many others.  All the signs were there for them to easily accept the fact that Jesus was indeed God’s son, but they chose not to believe.

In verse 50, Jesus cried out and then died.  At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, the earth shook, rocks split, and the tombs broke open.  Here is the craziest part of all:  bodies of holy people who had died were raised to life and started walking around town where many people saw them.  Can you imagine what that scene must have been like?  I’m sure there were people flipping out all over the place, including those who had put Jesus to death.  In verse 54, the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened.  It says they were terrified and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”  Oops.  Just minutes after they had crucified Jesus, they realized they had made a big mistake, but there was no going back at that point.  There was no do-over; they were clearly warned, but they chose to not believe.  I’m sure they felt terrible about their decision.

So, what does any of this have to do with you?  Well, you have a decision to make as well.  You must decide if you are going to live for God or live for yourself.  It’s a big decision so don’t take it lightly.  You can choose to ignore the signs if you would like, the same way the religious leaders ignored the signs 2,000 years ago.  Look at the incredible masterpiece called creation and try to justify that it happened completely randomly.  Read the Bible and try to convince yourself that all the ways the Bible has been proven to be accurate are just a coincidence.

Maybe you actually do believe in God, but you are putting off the decision until later.  Risky, risky.  You may die today, losing your chance.  Moreover, Jesus says he is going to come back like a thief in the night, meaning a lot of people are going to be surprised when that day happens.  In fact, on that day, I think the most said word of that day will be ‘Oops’.  A lot of people are going to regret they blew their chance.  Don’t let that be you.

Reflection Questions:

If you are not saved, what is holding you back from making that decision?

If you find yourself on the outside looking in after Christ returns, what thoughts will be going through your head at that point?

-Rick McClain

His Love Endures Forever

Old Testament: Micah 3 & 4

Poetry: Psalm 136

New Testament: Matthew 22

If you are like me, it is troubling to watch what is happening today over in Israel.  Many lives have been lost in the Israeli Hamas war.  I feel bad for the innocent people who have lost their lives.  Moreover, I am confused about what I want to happen.  Of course, peace is the ultimate goal, but does blood have to be shed to reach that goal?

I wouldn’t necessarily pick such a grim and complex topic for a daily devotion, but I couldn’t help but think about what is happening today when I was reading today’s chapters in Micah, Psalms, and Matthew.  The topics were not all warm and fuzzy, in fact, they were quite violent at times.  I’m not sure what I read helped me frame my view of the war today, but I got a glimpse into the mind of God.  I still have more questions than answers, but I feel I am more prepared to understand why the events will unfold the way they will.

Let’s start with Micah.  When I heard what was happening in Israel, my first thought was that Israel was God’s chosen people and you really don’t want to mess with them if you value your own life.  I already know who wins in the end, and it is Israel.  But then I thought about all the times Israel turned their backs to God and bad things happened to them.  In Micah 3:9-12, it talks about the rulers of Israel who despised justice, distorted what was right, built Zion with bloodshed, and built Jerusalem with wickedness.  They thought that the Lord was among them so no disasters would come upon them.  Instead, because of them, Jerusalem became a heap of rubble.  Does this describe the leaders of Israel today?  Is it possible they are trying again to build up Jerusalem with wickedness and bloodshed?  Are they going against what God wants to happen when innocent people are killed?

Would God, the most loving being there is, be ok with so many people dying in a war?  Strangely enough, the answer to that came in Psalms 136.  The second part of all 26 verses says, “His love endures forever.”  It is a whole chapter that talks about many ways that God loved his people.  It starts out nice enough when it talks about how good He is and how He created great wonders for us, but it gets a bit weird later.  It talks about His love enduring forever because He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, swept Pharoah and his army into the Red Sea, struck down great kings, and killed mighty kings.  It is strange to read a verse that says, “to Him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, His love endures forever.”  I don’t usually consider killing children as a sign of His love enduring forever.  However, it was a sign of His love because he did it to help His chosen people.  He loved the Israelites so much, that He was willing to kill others that were against them.  Is it possible Hamas is being killed because of God’s love for the Israeli’s?

The chapters from Micah and Psalms are sufficient in framing the discussion, but I was surprised to see that even Matthew had a little bit to say about the subject.  The parable of the wedding feast includes the king who was so enraged, he sent his armies to destroy the murderers and set their city on fire.  And the chapter ends with Jesus quoting David who said, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies beneath your feet.”  These two examples in Matthew were not necessarily referring directly to the issue we are talking about today, but I thought it was interesting that God did not rule out violence to solve some of the problems talked about in Matthew.

I already mentioned I don’t have complete clarity about this war today, but in my position, I think that is fine.  I am not the one deciding how much death and destruction will occur and I really don’t think either side would listen to me anyways if I had an opinion.  I care about what is happening, but I am just not directly involved.  I am ok watching what is happening, and I think it will become clear with time how God wants this to play out.  My prayer is for peace, but I will be patient to see how that peace comes about.  Perhaps true peace won’t even occur until a time that Micah talked about in chapter 4 – when Jesus returns.  I will also pray for that day to come soon.

Reflection Questions:

Do you think God is an active participant in this war or is He just watching what is happening?

What is your prayer for this war?

-Rick McClain

Popularity – and Rejection

Old Testament: Micah 1 & 2

Poetry: Psalm 135

New Testament: Matthew 21

As we come to the Christmas season, reading about these last days of Jesus puts a different light on the passage. 

At the beginning of the chapter, we see Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as the king he was prophesied to be.  This lines up with what was expected from his birth!  And yet, as we continue to read though the last parable in the chapter, we see that rejection starting to come.

In the parable of the tenants, we see a landowner who planted a vineyard, took care to put in safety precautions, then rented it out when he moved.  He sends his servants back first to collect the harvest.

The result?  One is beaten, another killed, and a third stoned.  He sends more servants, and they continue to treat them in the same way.

Finally, the landowner decides to sends his son, certain that he will be respected.  Instead, the tenants kill the son in an effort to steal his inheritance. 

Jesus explains that those who behave in this way – those that reject God’s servants, and ultimately his son – will have the kingdom taken away from them and given to someone else who will produce fruit.

Those who are reading these devotions are probably Christians.  But do we have times in our lives where we reject God’s son all the same?  Probably not an outright rejection or denial, but we might push him to the side of our lives or we might not be willing to speak of the gospel in front of others which is another way of denying him.

As we get closer to Christmas, let’s remember the amazing miracle of Jesus’ birth through the ultimate proof that he was the Messiah by his resurrection and focus on sharing the good news rather than denying his name.

~Stephanie Fletcher

A short bio about me: I live in Minnesota with my husband and our two kids – 5 & almost 3.  We may be a little crazy, but a couple of years ago, we bought a home with my parents – it is like two regular sized homes stacked on top of each other, and we all live there together.  For a short while, my sister, her husband, and their baby lived there too.  We live there with our dog, Indiana (a compromise from Han Solo or Ford based on my liking of Harrison Ford), and a pet fish – Mickey Rainbow Mermaid Fish (name courtesy of my daughter as technically, it’s her pet).

Reflection Questions

  1. What can you learn from Jesus in how he handled popularity? And, from how he handled rejection? 
  2. How have your actions or words (or lack thereof) been a denial of Jesus Christ?
  3. How can you do better? 
  4. What fruit is the landowner looking for? 

Refocus

Old Testament: Obadiah

Poetry: Psalm 132

New Testament: Matthew 18

Who is the greatest?  The GOAT (is that still a thing)?  This is what the disciples come to Jesus asking at the beginning of Matthew 18.

Jesus doesn’t answer them directly, per usual.  Their question isn’t even worth answering.  It doesn’t matter who is the greatest.  That comes with the wrong focus.  Instead Jesus tells them:

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

Your position is not important.  Rather, not viewing yourself as the greatest will put yourself in a better, more humble position.

There are several parables in this chapter, and I think you could probably tie them all to humility in some way, but I want to look at the last section.  It starts with:

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[g]

That is going to require humility.  When someone sins against us, we probably feel we are in the right to be angry or to hold a grudge.  After all, they sinned against me.  But Jesus’ instructions don’t allow for this kind of pride.  Instead, we are to go on forgiving our fellow Christians time and time again, swallowing our pride, pushing it aside, for the sake of forgiveness.

We might think this is unfair, but through the parable Jesus tells of the unmerciful servant, we can see that God forgives us so much!  For us to accept God’s forgiveness for our own sins, but to hold another’s sins against them is prideful.  It is saying that you deserve forgiveness more than them, or that your sins weren’t as great.

Instead, Jesus wants us to humble ourselves, to admit that we are just as low, or even lower, than others and offer the grace to others that we have been given.

Humility is a topic that has come up often in my discussions and readings the last few months.  It is hard – it is against our human nature.  But I really believe it is one of the most important things for us to focus on.  And likely, it isn’t a one-time thing.  We need to constantly be reminded and refocus on humility to make sure that pridefulness doesn’t seep into our lives, because pride does come naturally.  But humility is key.  It is key to forgiveness, to serving others, to spreading the gospel.  Your message will be better received if it comes from a place of humility rather than pride.

~Stephanie Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. What does pride look like? What does humility look like? Why do you think Jesus teaches humility? Which type of person do you prefer to be around? 
  2. When and how does pridefulness seep into your life? What has helped you remember and practice humility?

Merely Human Rules

Old Testament: Amos 3 & 4

Poetry: Psalm 129

New Testament: Matthew 15

Jesus is on a bit of a tirade at the start of this chapter.  He has got to be pretty sick of the Pharisees!  But when he quotes from Isaiah to them in verses 8 and 9, I wonder if we fall into this trap too, and how frustrated he might feel with us at times. 

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’”

I have been doing some reading on church history earlier this year, and it seems this was some of the problem that started the reformation back in the 1500s.  Some brave individuals stood up to the churches that led culture at the time and said that people were no longer following the word of God, but rather they were just following the church’s rules which were made by people, often for political reasons.

Are we still doing this?  Teaching things that are merely human rules rather than focusing on God?

While we are to follow the laws of the land that were created by people (as long as they don’t contradict God’s laws), we should not be so focused in our churches on following a set of rules of how a worship service should be set up, or the exact number of times per year you should have communion that we miss out on looking at the heart.  There is a difference between Jesus’ teachings and a tradition set up in a church.

Traditions can be good, but when we focus so much on them that we don’t pay attention to the results of what is being done or said, they have no purpose.  If someone new comes in from another church and they ask “why are you doing things this way?” people tend to get defensive even when the question is asked with a genuine desire to understand rather than to criticize.  The truth is, we should be able to answer that question, or if we can’t, consider the practice to determine if what we are doing does still make sense, or if it has become an outdated tradition that could be changed to better serve people.

After Jesus speaks, the disciples come out like “hey, did you know what you said upset the Pharisees?”  Jesus doesn’t care if they were offended by what he said.  He spoke the truth and wants people to realize the meaning and intent of things.  Yes, washing your hands before you eat is a good practice.  You are less likely to consume bacteria that way.  But not doing that doesn’t defile you spiritually.  The things that come out of your mouth (which come from your heart) do – evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

~Stephanie Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. What is something in your life that needs to be examined to ensure your heart is in the right place?
  2. What instances can you think of in which the church is following mere human rules and not the word of God and teachings of Jesus?

An Important Message from Joel

Old Testament: Joel 1-3

Poetry: Psalm 127

New Testament: Matthew 13

12 Even now— this is the Lord’s declaration— turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13 Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and He relents from sending disaster. Joel 2:12-13 (HCSB)

Today we’re going to read the book of Joel (hey, that’s my name!). It is one of the shortest books in the Old Testament, so I’ll keep my thoughts on it brief. It was written as a wake up call to God’s people. As you’ve been reading through the Prophets, it should have been quite apparent that God wasn’t the happiest about the actions of His people. That’s why we have this particular section of scripture; if Israel hadn’t messed up so bad, God wouldn’t have had to tell them so. Joel doesn’t say much different than the other Prophets; he is just rehashing the same message because apparently, Israel still hasn’t learned its lesson.
Here’s the condensed version of the message: you’ve sinned and made God angry, but He loves you and wants you to live, so turn away from your wickedness. 


This message, which was proclaimed to the Jews first, is just as relevant today for us as it was then for them. Only today we have the added part: God loved you so much He sent His only begotten son so you can live eternally (John 3:16). We still live in nations full of wickedness, we still raise idols to a status reserved only for Yahweh, we still do wrong when we know what’s right, and we still let the ungodly have undue influence over us. The words spoken through the Prophets to the people of Israel still hold value for us, and I hope we will do a better job heeding them than the original recipients. 

-Joel Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. What idols do you/have you raised to a status reserved only for Yahweh?
  2. What wrong do you do when you know what is right?
  3. In what ways have you let the ungodly have undue influence over you?
  4. What does the book of Joel reveal will happen to those who don’t return to the Lord? What is revealed will happen to those who do?

Building an All-Star Team

Old Testament: Hosea 12-14

Poetry: Psalm 126

New Testament: Matthew 12

Suppose you were given the task of building a team that was responsible for learning some teachings and convincing everyone else in the world that those teachings were true.  What kind of people would you pick for this team?  I would go with an all-star team of doctors, lawyers, scholars, politicians, successful business people, and someone famous.  Jesus had this same task, but he built an all-star team of fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, probably some tradesmen, and more fishermen.  These were the occupations of the twelve disciples.  Think about how unremarkable this group was, and yet they were chosen to carry out probably the most important job in the history of mankind, to spread the gospel to the whole world.  They were ordinary people on an extraordinary mission.

And guess what…the mission is not over, especially considering there are about seven billion people alive today that were not living a couple thousand years ago.  I’m pretty sure all of the disciples died so they are not able to help with the work anymore.  God needs a team now to carry on the mission and I suspect he is still counting on ordinary people to join the team.  Yes, I am talking about you.  God wants you to help preach the gospel to all of the nations.

But what is the message?  In Matthew 10:12, Jesus said he wanted them to go out and preach about the kingdom.  He wanted to make sure that everyone knew about the coming kingdom.  Is everyone going to accept the message?  Absolutely not.  Jesus said if they don’t accept the message, shake off the dust of your feet and move on to the next place.  It might seem odd that Jesus was sending them to places where they would be rejected, but he still thought it was important that everyone should hear the message so they can make the choice themselves.  If someone doesn’t hear about the kingdom, they don’t have a chance to accept the kingdom message.

Is it going to be easy?  Nope.  Jesus said we are like sheep in the midst of wolves.  He told us that it won’t be easy, and in fact, it could be dangerous.  Moreover, if you choose to be on this team, the message is not always viewed favorably and your own family may hate you for it, even to the point of your own family having you killed.  Jesus said in Matthew 11:11 that no one was ever greater than John the Baptist, yet his life ended when they chopped off his head.  However, Jesus tells us the good news in Matthew 10:39, “He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it.”

In Matthew 12:19, it talks about Jesus’ approach.  He won’t quarrel or cry out, and nobody in the streets will hear his voice.  I believe this is our model of how to spread the gospel message.  We are not looking for a fight.  We don’t have to get angry with people because they disagree with us.  We do not have to stand on street corners and scream at people that they are going to hell if they don’t repent.  We just need to speak the truth in love.  Explain to people what is going to happen in the future, especially what happens to them after they die.  Tell them about the kingdom and how to attain salvation.  If they are not interested in what you are saying, move on.  There is no need for a heated debate and there is no need to keep pestering them.  Just shake off the dust and move on.  You can feel good that you gave them a chance for eternal life.  The only time you should feel bad is when you had the opportunity to talk to someone and kept silent.  What if they would have embraced the gospel message, but nobody ever gave them that chance?  That would be a tragedy to let someone die eternally without ever trying to save them.

Fortunately, it is not our responsibility to make sure others attain salvation.  It is only our responsibility to make sure they hear the gospel message.  Don’t put any pressure on yourself for results.  It is only your job to make sure that people have a choice and they don’t have a choice unless someone tells them about the choice.  Matthew 12:50 says that whoever does the will of Jesus’ Father is a brother, sister, or mother of Jesus.  That is a family I hope you want to be a part of.

-Rick McClain

(originally posted April 30, 2017 for SeekGrowLove)

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you consider yourself a part of Jesus’ family – why or why not? What do you think Jesus would say?
  2. How do you do at telling others of the choice they have? What can you do this week to tell someone else – who, how, when?

The Father’s Child

Old Testament: Hosea 10 & 11

Poetry: Psalm 125

New Testament: Matthew 11

I was touched by the beautiful imagery of the LORD calling to Israel as a child. Teaching him to walk and taking him into His arms. Here the LORD is also leading with kindness and bonded to His people in love. And I can just imagine a compassionate care taker releasing an animal from its burden-taking off the bridle and bit to allow the animal to freely eat and drink. The love and compassion of God are so evident in these passages. But Israel’s obstinance is also evident. These collections of poetry are calling out again to the people. Turn to God, do what is right and be saved. God desires for people to come to Him to be healed, forgiven and saved, but as we have seen over and over, the people continued to reject Him.

We are told what the result is, “Because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore, the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes (4:1-3a)”. It is disturbing that this scripture could be describing parts of our own country today. But the poetic words of the prophet Hosea still speak through this book. Telling us about the LORD’S perfect character and His justice. We still hear a main theme of not rejecting, but accepting and remaining faithful to our God. How horrible to become stubborn and self-willed against the Only True Living God. That is a place that we never want to occupy. Unfortunately, I know that we could name some individuals who have turned away and have chosen lives that are in complete opposition to God. But we want to be those that faithfully hold to God. Hosea 14 describes it this way, “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them (v.9)”. Hosea explains that someday the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God; they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness. It is incredible that we can know, walk with, and most of all be in a loving relationship with Him right now.

-Rebecca Dauksas

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on November 4, 2022)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. How is your nation like Israel? How are they different from Israel? How are you like Israel? How are you different from Israel?
  2. How would you describe God as a parent?
  3. How will you respond as His child? When have you been rebelled against Him? What is His desire for You?

Jesus Gives

Old Testament: Hosea 6 & 7

Poetry: Psalm 123

*New Testament: Matthew 9

In this chapter (Matthew 9) we see that Jesus and the disciples are continuing an active pace proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. This lively passage not only records 6 healing incidents, but also shows 3 incidents where the teachers of the law are becoming rattled by the actions and rising popularity of Jesus.

Ready for anything and everything, the action rolls out as follows for Jesus and the disciples: 1) heals a paralyzed man, 2) calls Matthew the tax collector, 3) stops a hemorrhage in a woman, 4) raises a dead girl, 5) gives sight to 2 blind men, 6) and loosens the tongue of a mute man

Not only was Christ seemingly running a mobile emergency room, he was “hiring” new workers, contending with naysayers, and stopping to notice the big picture of the work ahead.

Verse 36 takes my breath away. “He saw the crowds and had compassion on them.” We are not lost in a crowd to Him. He knows our name and our needs. There is no end to His goodness. No bottom to the well. You can’t wear Jesus out. He’s not running on low. He’s not in a bad mood because it’s you again. “For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16

The biggest problem in these 38 verses is that Jesus needed assistance to support the needs of the “harassed & helpless.” Nothing’s changed. May God stir your heart and mine this day to be a worker fit and ready to support the hurting. Let God’s “grace upon grace” compel us to action to not overthink but DO!

-Julie Driskill

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove January 14, 2019)

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you learn about Jesus in Matthew 9? In what ways does he give?
  2. Who do you see who are harassed and helpless? What can you give to them?
  3. In what ways have you received “grace upon grace”? How can you share that with others?