Are We Experiencing A Grace That Holds Us Up?

Good Morning Friends,

Today we look at our own acts of mercy as an imitation of God’s mercy. We look at how God provides us spiritual resources and challenges both so we might grow and persevere in the faith. We ask, Are We Experiencing A Grace That Holds Us Up?

Scripture Summary

2 Corinthians 1:1–7 Paul opens by reminding the church that God is the Father of mercies who comforts us in every affliction. His pattern is simple but surprising: as we share in Christ’s sufferings, we also share in His abundant comfort—so that we can comfort others with the same grace we’ve received.

1 Kings 17:1–6 Elijah obeys God into obscurity, hiding by a wadi while ravens bring his daily bread. God’s provision comes in unlikely ways, teaching Elijah that grace is not always dramatic, but it is always sufficient.

Matthew 5:1–12 Jesus blesses the very people the world overlooks—those who are poor in spirit, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemaking, and persecuted. These are not entry requirements but signs of a life reshaped by God’s kingdom.

Genesis 50:19–21 Joseph tells his brothers the truth that anchors every believer: “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” Grace does not erase suffering, but it transforms it into purpose.

Message: To be a Christian is to live by a different script. The world sees weakness; Jesus calls it blessedness. The world sees loss; God calls it preparation. The Beatitudes describe not spiritual elites but ordinary disciples being reshaped by grace. The gospel gives us both humility and courage: humility because everything is a gift, and courage because the One who calls us also sustains us. That is Paul’s point—God consoles us so deeply that we become conduits of consolation to others. Elijah’s hidden season shows that God’s grace often arrives in strange packaging. Joseph’s story shows that God weaves even harm into redemption. God is always working even when we do not see it.

And So, God has your back and mine too. But His grace doesn’t merely comfort; it transforms. It makes us poor in spirit, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure-hearted, and peace‑seeking. It sends us into the world as salt and light. And it calls us to build a community where that same grace is shared, not hoarded. Grace is God’s idea. Grace is God’s work. Grace is God’s power made perfect in our weakness. And grace is the reason we can rejoice, even when the world cannot understand why.

Pray Lord, You teach us to receive Your grace and extend it. Pray You make us poor in spirit, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, and courageous in persecution. Pray You console us so we may console others. Pray You keep us faithful to Your purposes, confident that You are working all things for good. Amen.

Blessings,

John Lawson