Spring Break Devo 2 - Tuesday, April 7th

:::: Read Ephesians 2 ::::

When I was about 13 years old, my best friend Bryan and I went for a walk back in the woods behind his house. We were out there for a few hours, investigating a beaver dam which had created a great walk-way to an area of the woods we have never been to. When it got to be mid-day and our stomachs were grumbling, we decided to head back for some grub. However, the sun was high in the sky, and we couldn’t tell which way to get back to his house. Bryan was a bit of a daredevil, and in order to get our bearings, he decided to climb a pine tree to the very top where the trunk could barely hold his weight. From there he could see where the creek was and which direction we needed to go. We didn’t mean to get lost, we were just walking.

It’s easy to lose our bearings in life. Sometimes we forget where we’ve come from and we’re just walking on through. Then we’re hungry and lost and desperate. Knowing where you are now, is so connected to knowing where you’ve been. Paul talks to the Ephesians about this in Chapter 2. He’s reminding them of the things that had separated them from God, like the ways of the world and sinful cravings, desires and thought (v. 2-3). However, his true intention is to remind us of how amazing God’s grace is and how He saved us.

God’s grace has saved us. Grace is unmerited favor. It means that we didn’t do anything to deserve it, but God has given it to us anyway. God’s grace has been extended to us through Jesus Christ and now we can be saved as long as we believe in Him (v. 8). The great part is that Jesus has already done all the hard work for us. There’s nothing we can do to be saved, no hoop to jump through, we just have to believe and accept God’s gift of grace.

So, remember where you have come from. Remember the great things that God has done for you. Why?... Because God has great things that he wants to do through you (v.10). If you haven’t thought about it, try to go back and remember what it was like before you knew God, or before you began to let Him take priority in your life… now, what’s different? Welcome to God’s amazing grace!

God loves you so much, and so do I.
-brent