Elizabeth George's Blog, page 25

Your Wife's Best Friend

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He who finds a good wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22

 

Let’s revisit your courtship with your wife. Did you strive to be her best friend? I know you did! You were probably a little jealous if she spent time with any person other than you. Did you like being in her company and doing crazy things together? Elizabeth and I were the same way—we were best friends while we were dating.

During courtship, it seems as if the pure joy of just being together will never end. But after marriage, for some reason, that seems to fade away, doesn’t it? What happened? Here’s a basic formula that seems applicable to many of us:

time + familiarity + distractions + duties = diminished interest

In other words, the demands and distractions of daily life crept into that beautiful friendship and began to erode the relationship.

For instance, how would you define intimacy? If you’re like most men, you probably think in terms of sexual intimacy or lovemaking. While that is a part of intimacy, there’s definitely more to the definition. It also refers to great closeness—the kind that the closest of friends share, in which they feel they can talk about anything.

Are you enjoying that kind of friendship with your wife? Sometimes the friendship part of marriages goes through a dry spell, but this doesn’t need to last. Purpose in your heart to cultivate both friendship and marital intimacy with your wife. Build the kind of relationship where she can say of you, “This is my beloved, and this is my friend” (Song of Solomon 5:16).

PONDER

How can you recapture that friendship you enjoyed with your wife while you two were dating? 

RESPOND

God, you can make all things new – including my friendship with my wife. As You renew us individually day by day, may our relationship also experience new life as we follow You.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

In A Couple After God’s Own Heart, discover how you can enrich your marriage by looking at the lives of key couples in the Bible. Learn more about A Couple After God’s Own Heart by Jim and Elizabeth George.

REFLECT

Think back on the days when you were courting your wife. What did you do to nurture your relationship with her? Take a moment to write a list, then make a commitment to do some of these activities again—the activities that helped you to become best friends.

REMEMBER

After your friendship with God, your wife’s friendship is the greatest treasure you possess.

3 Ways to Become Best Friends With Your Husband

 

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Do you have a best girl friend or two? Maybe you have a sister that you can call a best friend. Let’s consider the many things you do for and with a best friend. Your list is probably a lot like mine—you pray for her, phone her, send her cards and notes in the mail, celebrate her birthday, get together for lunch, visit often, e-mail her, pick up little things for her that you know she would like and the list goes on and on.

If we’re married, this is the kind of love God wants us to display—a love that is deeper and more devoted than what we would demonstrate to a best girl friend. You see, loving your husband is first on God’s list of assignments for us in Titus 2:3-5. Indeed, loving our husband is a high calling! So, let’s see how many ways we can do the work of love and set about to answer God’s calling for us to cultivate this character quality as Christian wives.

1. Build Him Up: praise him in front of the children, speak well of him in front of others, don’t just tell him you love him - tell him why you love him, and speak life to him when he’s down.

2. Consider Him: make sure the home is clean and smells fresh when you know he’s had a long day, pick up a small gift you know that he is sure to like, text him a message during the day just to let him know you’re thinking of him, and freshen up your hair and face when he get’s home.

3. Spend Time With Him: sit with him on the sofa while he’s watching sports, eat dinner together at the table, go with him when he’s fishing or golfing, laugh with him, and drink coffee with him in the morning.

Your friendship and love relationship with your husband must be faithfully and diligently nurtured, even in the midst of the duties and chaos of raising your children. We never question doing some of these things for our girlfriends, yet we hesitate to do them for our spouse.

So, make the choice to love your husband. That’s right—decide to love him. That might not sound romantic, but a choice to love your husband is most definitely a choice that will benefit both of you. And it’s a choice that honors the Lord and is a testimony to His glory.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning penned these now-famous words to her dear husband Robert: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” When you choose an attitude of thankfulness and determinedly express love to your husband, you will certainly find that the lovey-dovey feelings beyond those of friendship will follow.

PONDER

What are some things you do for your best friend that you could make more of an effort to do for your husband?

RESPOND

Lord, remind me daily that my husband is my best and truest friend. Help me to show him how important he is to me. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]In A Woman's High Calling, she helps readers to eliminate the clutter and chaos of everyday life and focus on the few things God considers truly essential. Learn more about A Woman's High Calling by Elizabeth George.

REFLECT

Send your husband a text, or leave him a note, sharing with him why you love his so. Count the ways….

REMEMBER

Of all the relationships we put time and energy into nurturing, our relationship with our husband should be at the top of the list.

3 Steps to Trust God and Increase Faith

[image error]Confidence is a quality that everyone desires. Self-confidence suggests one trusts in his or her own abilities. The “self-made” person has a firm trust in their education, professional abilities, athletic skills, looks, health, or material resources. Their belief in themselves produces a state of mind and manner that is marked by freedom from uncertainty, self-doubt, or embarrassment.

But there’s another kind of confidence, and it too is based on trust. However, it’s not a trust in self, but a trust in God. Who better to demonstrate the confidence that comes from trusting God than God’s only Son, the Lord Jesus? Even at the early age of twelve, while teaching at the temple (Luke 2:41-52), Jesus was confident in His identity as the son of God.

Likewise your confidence must come from your identity in and with Jesus. He has made you a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and given you a fresh start. Your past has been forgiven. The slate of your sins has been erased. Your present is empowered by Jesus’ Spirit. And your future is guaranteed for all eternity. You are one with Christ. Therefore, there’s no reason to be fearful of anything. Oh, you must have a healthy respect for the fragility of life and the need for wisdom and safety precautions. But there’s no reason to be anxious about your normal activities.

If your confidence for some challenge is wavering, maybe you’ve lost sight of who it is you are to trust. Trusting in yourself is shaky ground. Trust instead in the rock that is solid, in Jesus Christ. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:7).

The chances are good that while you are reading this, you are sitting down. Before you took a seat, did you question whether or not the seat would hold you? Did you examine it for possible weaknesses? Did you ponder all of the ways things could go wrong if you sat in it?

The majority of us would agree we didn’t do any of those things. So, why do we trust an innate object more than we trust our Lord? The short answer is, we don’t. Instead, we’ve placed our trust in our knowledge, experiences, and self. We’ve trained our brain to behave this way. The good news is that we can train it to behave with the truth of God’s Word.  

1. Believe and Know that His Word is Truth

We should renew our minds with His Word on a daily basis. Ephesians 21-24 teaches us that we should die to self and become more like Him. A daily reading of scripture or spirit-filled literature will fill your mind with truth. The more you read it, the more it will occupy the spaces of our mind that need renewing. As your mind is renewed, your faith will take root and grow

2. Be Prepared to Defend the Truth

No matter how hard we try, corrupt or faithless thoughts will pop into our minds. It is in these moments that we must train our brain to line up with the Word of God we’ve deposited into our hearts. 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches us to take those thoughts captive and command them to line up with God’s Word. A thought only becomes ours when we begin to meditate on it. Instead, meditate on His Word. We must remember that it doesn’t return void and it will accomplish what it’s sent out to do. God does not change and He does not lie. Continue to remind yourself of that.

3. Remember All that He Has Done for You and Others

Our thoughts and actions rely heavily on experiences. This is why it is important to live a life of gratitude and love. When we are bombarded with doubt, it helps to recall the blessings He has given us, the trials He has walked us through, and the stories of triumph He has given us in His Word.

As you continue to do those three things, your confidence in Him will outweigh the confidence you’ve placed in yourself. God places great value on you. Savor this truth! In fact, you are so valuable that He sent His only Son to die for you (John 3:16). And because of God’s love, you never need to be afraid of personal challenges or difficult trials. Yes, times of trouble will come, but rather than hiding in fear, have the confidence to trust your all-wise and loving heavenly Father. The wolves are out there, but the Good Shepherd knows that you are one of His sheep. He is always there with you and for you!

PONDER

How have you seen God’s care for you demonstrated to you in the past? Does this bolster your confidence for you present circumstances?

RESPOND

Lord, forgive me for putting more faith and trust in myself than in you. You are my father, my creator, the love of my life. Forgive me for thinking that I am the only one who had my best interests at heart. I will wholeheartedly try to die to self each and every day and grow in you. Please help me to do that. Thank you for being such an awesome and loving example. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES 

[image error]Women will love the hundreds of helpful tips and biblical insights in this book―all designed to help them experience greater productivity and spiritual blessing. Learn more about A Woman's Guide to Making Right Choices by Elizabeth George.

 

 

REFLECT

Forward this devotion to someone you know who could use this reminder of God’s grace. 

REMEMBER

Live a life of gratitude and love. Write down the things God has done for you. Meditate on them daily.

6 Things to Pray for Others

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Every Christian prays for those she loves and cares about. Yet it’s easy to fall into a pattern of praying for the temporal things in the lives of those we cherish. It doesn’t take much thought to ask God to bless people financially or to resolve their health concerns.

We can soon find ourselves praying in a routine sort of way for family and friends looking for places to live, selecting colleges, or seeking jobs.

Then there are our habitual prayers for the daily little things in life—parking places, bargains, our children to nap well, safety for one more day.

God’s faithful servant Paul shows us a more significant way to pray for those we know and love. It’s far from what could be called a prayer for health, wealth, and happiness.

Paul prays for his beloved friends—a prayer for spiritual knowledge and discernment, sincerity and integrity, acceptance of what is godly and holy, and lives filled with righteousness. And by the way, these are not just topics to cover in your prayers for others. These are mature issues to lift up for yourself too. 

Praying for Others

Here are six things we can pray, dear friend and sister in Christ, for others and ourselves:

Pray that we learn the discipline of lifting our thoughts and our prayers, our aims and our lives, heavenward, upward, far above and beyond that which is routine and mundane.
Pray that we become stronger women of prayer—with regular, daily, unhurried, secret lingering in prayer.
Pray that others will be encouraged by knowing we pray for them...and by knowing what we pray for them.
Pray we will pray as Paul did, using the sweet-but-packed wisdom found in Philippians 1:9-11 as our guide to praying for others.
Pray our lives will bring great glory and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ and God, our Father; that our lives will be filled with the fruits of righteousness.
Pray that the fruit in our lives will be abundant and spill forth, blessing others and reflecting well on our Savior.

When we love people, we can’t help but pray for them because we carry them in our hearts. Start by praying these above six ways to pray and then build upon them from there.

Every prayer you lift up for your friends and for others who are placed on your heart reaches God’s ears and heart. Ask Him to use His power, might, strength, and wisdom to help the people you care about.

RESPOND

God, lead my focus away from temporal items. Give me a vision for those things that are eternal and of spiritual importance. And when I pray for others, help me be sincere and faithful. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES    [image error]

Prayers to Calm Your Heart: Finding the Path to More Peace and Less Stress by Elizabeth George—This beautifully designed gift book is part practical, part inspirational, and altogether essential to keep worry and runaway fear in check. It's a welcome gift to give at any time on any occasion.

REFLECT
Email or text several friends this week to ask how you can pray for their needs.

Why not write a few words of hope and comfort to a loved one who needs encouragement? Or call someone who needs God’s peace and pray with him or her. And share spiritual insights from God’s Word.

REMEMBER

Ask God to help you and the people in your life develop “spiritual eyes” for seeing and understanding your riches and blessings in Jesus Christ.

Suffering for Doing What is Right

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As a writer, I know that endings are difficult. I always hope to leave you with some kind of positive sensation—about your life, about your future, about God’s message, and about Him—yet also motivate you to move out on the truths you’ve just learned. 

Peter faced this same dilemma as he was forced to lay down his pen. It’s probable that Peter hadn’t even met the people who would read his letter...and that he would never meet them. But knowing of their struggles and being a shepherd at heart, Peter wrote his letter.

Suffering

And his subject matter—suffering for doing what is right—was certainly something he knew all too well. He’d witnessed the suffering of his friend and Savior. He knew all about the hounding crowds, the belligerent rulers, the ranks of armed soldiers, the brutal trials, the cross.

After writing a letter that was so much about suffering and perseverance, his ending word selection was very intentional: “Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:14)

These are words of unity, love, and peace written carefully many years ago—and yet so powerful for our faith journey today.

I’ve learned there are two kinds of peace needed in the arena of life, both available to us from and through God: personal peace and interpersonal peace.

Strife

Everyone’s been in situations where there’s strife and malice with others. And it can be so easy to succumb to our negative emotions and actively engage in the conflict. Thank God for making His peace—our ability to promote interpersonal peace—available through His Holy Spirit!

God will help us honor Him in our responses: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

And then there is the area of personal peace, which is sorely needed when facing terror, fear, panic, dread, doubt, and restlessness of spirit. For these deeply felt difficulties and sorrows, Peter includes this powerful word of reminder: Peace.

Security

How can you seek and secure God’s peace in your daily life?

Take your tendency to panic...and instead rest in God’s presence.
Take your tendency to terror...and instead trust in God’s wisdom and ways.
Take your tendency to dread...and instead accept God’s dealings.
Take your tendency to nervousness...and instead know God is in control.

Peter was with the Lord when He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

And now Peter passes on to us the very essence of the personal words Jesus spoke to Peter and the other disciples as they faced what was to come: “Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

RESPOND

Lord, thank You for Your peace. During times of turmoil with others or trials that are heavy on my heart, Your peace is sufficient and ever-present. May I seek You with the cup of my heart and be filled again and again with the sweet, calming peace of You. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES  [image error]

Prayers for a Woman’s Heart by Elizabeth George – Prayers and devotions to help you grow in wisdom, patience, and peace!

REFLECT

What emotions tend to run high for you? Panic, terror, dread, nervousness? Confess those to the Lord and ask Him to replace them with His rest, trust, and peace. 

REMEMBER

There are two kinds of peace needed, both available to us from and through God: personal peace and interpersonal peace.

Emotional Stability

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I want to pass on to you one of our family’s favorite devotionals from the Our Daily Bread series. The morning Jim read it at the breakfast table, my daughter Katherine drew five stars and wrote the word “Mom” on it. That day was May 17, 1982—a red-letter day for our family. Maybe this will help you, too. 

A woman developed a very serious throat condition. The doctor prescribed medication but told her that her vocal cords needed total rest—no talking for six months!

With a husband and six children to care for, it seemed an impossible order, but she cooperated. When she needed the youngsters, she blew a whistle. Instructions became written memos, and questions were answered on pads of paper she had placed around the house.

The six months passed, and after she recovered, her first comments were quite revealing. She said that the children had become quieter, and then remarked, “I don’t think I’ll ever holler again like I used to.”

When asked about the notes, she replied, “You’d be surprised how many, written hastily, I crumpled up and threw into the wastebasket before I gave them to anyone to read. Seeing my words before anyone heard them had an effect that I don’t think I can ever forget.”*

I got the message: Speak less often . . . and only after thinking about what I’m going to say. And speak only what is sweet and pleasant . . . only what is wise and kind! These are God’s guidelines for beautiful speech. 

To follow these guidelines, you and I need to be growing in emotional stability. After all, our emotional state often sets the standard and tone for our home. Here are three guidelines for gaining emotional stability so that you, too, can make your home happy. 

Master Your Tolerance

By this I mean your endurance. When I face difficult circumstances or painful times, I pray something like this:

“God, Your Word says You have already given me all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). And Your Word says I can do all things— including handle this—through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). By Your grace and through Your Spirit, I can do this. Thank You for enabling me to meet the challenge!”

With this prayer I acknowledge the marvelous resources I have in the Lord and then bear down physically and mentally and march right through what lies before me. I endeavor to quietly . . . and calmly . . . and determinedly . . . endure life’s challenges as they roll in and out.

You see, my goal—my prayer—is always that I will not give in, give up, or quit. Instead of becoming incapacitated by emotions, I want to be beautiful in God’s eyes.

Master Your Temper

I’m using temper to refer to “heat of mind” (as Webster’s says) and passion. When it comes to temper, God’s Word tells us a few things about a woman of strength. 

She nurtures a peaceful heart (Proverbs 14:30). 
She knows how to wait (Proverbs 19:2). 
She does not strive (Proverbs 19:11). 
She restrains her spirit (Proverbs 25:28). 

This description may seem impossible, but let me reassure you that God uses our faithful devotion to Him and our careful attention to His standards day by day, challenge by challenge over a lifetime to flesh out in us His divine beauty, a reflection of His image. 

I started down this path of mastering my temper by first creating a “resolutions” page in my personal prayer notebook. 

This list contained the sins I was holding up to God daily with a heart-plea for Him to help me eliminate them out of my life (Matthew 5:29-30). One such unbeautiful habit on that list read, “Stop screaming at the children.” I hope you get the picture! 

Master Your Tongue

Speaking of sins, don’t most of them involve the tongue? Blessing and cursing do indeed proceed out of the same mouth (James 3:10). Our words can either “speak like the piercings of a sword” or “promote health” (Proverbs 12:18). To bring the sparkle of God’s beauty into a home, you and I need to live out a few more wise proverbs: 

Speak less often (Proverbs 10:19). 
Speak only after we think about what we’re going to say (Proverbs 15:28). 
Speak only what is sweet and pleasant (Proverbs 16:21 and 24). 

Emotional stability gives every soldier in every army the invaluable ability to continue on when the going is tough, and that’s what I’m calling you to do.

Let’s commit to learn endurance, master our temper, and master our tongue—things I’ve been working towards for decades. God’s beautiful and virtuous woman is an army of virtues. Start today to persevere and turn to God to be your Helper.

RESPOND

Dear Lord, thank You for Your indwelling Spirit, who helps me persevere. May my words and actions be pleasing to You. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES   [image error]

Putting on a Gentle and Quiet Spirit by Elizabeth George—Discover how to handle trials and persecutions, including: suffering for doing good; understanding the mysteries of God; and fanning the flame of faith through this Bible study.

REFLECT

Is there an area you struggle in the most when it comes to emotional stability? Look up Bible verses that relate to this area and commit them to memory.

REMEMBER

Start today to persevere and turn to God to be your Helper.

*Our Daily Bread, Radio Bible Class Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI, May, 1982.

What Is My Purpose?

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If you’re a parent, you know parenting is always accompanied by a multitude of hopes and prayers. With deep love for your children, you bear down during the formative years to ensure that values, training, and discipline are applied in ample measure.

Prayers are lifted daily for the ultimate outcome of your love and labors: Will they grow up to love the Lord? To follow God’s ways? To heed the Word of the Lord? To point others to the Savior?

Parental Guidance

As Paul addresses his beloved children in the Lord at Philippi, he also instructs us, like a parent, to fulfill the spiritual accomplishments that make our faith evident:

“Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” (Philippians 2:14-16)

Paul wants God’s children to shine as lights to the world. What wisdom is Paul sharing?

Live out your salvation, carry it to its conclusion, and apply it to day-by-day living.


Actively pursue obedience as God produces spiritual fruit in your life.


Hold fast to the truths and principles in God’s Word.


Follow Christ’s example by serving others to encourage them to become believers and grow in their faith.

Paul—our teacher and spiritual parent—longs for us to be strong, faithful, and obedient children of God.

Ask, What is My Purpose?

After Dr. Louis Talbot’s death, his wife, Dr. Carol Talbot, wrote a biography of her husband’s life and entitled it For This I Was Born. I loved reading about the fascinating and inspiring life of this great saint, preacher, and founder of a seminary that bears his name. I especially love the title.

Do you know what your purpose is, dear one? Can you boldly declare, “For this I was born” and know what the “this” is?

Jesus could! He clearly stated, “For this cause I was born” when He was questioned by Pilate (John 18:37). Jesus went on to say, “I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Live Out Your Purpose

Are you living out your purpose for God’s good pleasure without murmuring and disputing? Are you studying God’s instructions and being obedient so you can discover your great purpose in Christ?

You have been given the gift of being a child of God. Your heavenly Father wants to see you shine for Him.

For this cause... for this privilege...you were born—to “shine as lights in the world.”

RESPOND

Father, what a gift You’ve given me, Your child. Your Word is filled with Your instructions and guidance as my parent. You also blessed me with spiritual parents, including Paul, who encourage and inspire me to faithfully obey and model a heart committed to sacrifice and  service. Thank You. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES   [image error]

A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George—As you embrace God's plans for you, you will find real purpose in a life of prayer and practicing God's priorities as you become A Woman After God's Own Heart®.

REFLECT

Are you living out your purpose for God’s good pleasure without murmuring and disputing?

Who can you encourage to live out their purpose this week?

REMEMBER

Follow Christ’s example by serving others to encourage them to become believers and grow in their faith.

A Way Out of Temptation—Teen Tuesday

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Living for 30 years in Southern California with the constant threat of earthquakes has made our family a bit cautious whenever we go into buildings. And this wariness was especially acute right after the 6.8-magnitude killer earthquake in Northridge, California—the epicenter of which was only three miles from our home.

Even today, years after that quake, as we enter a building, we immediately look for the exit signs. We instinctively wonder, Where are they? And, What is the quickest way to get to them? We aren’t paranoid (or are we?). We must still be looking for the “big one”!

Looking for a Way Out

Now, you may never have to contend with earthquakes, but what about your last plane trip? What was the first thing the flight attendants told you? They instructed you on how to exit the plane during an emergency, didn’t they? Exit routes are very important to know, whether for fire safety, plane mishaps, earthquake survival... or even when dealing with temptation.

Temptation comes into every believer’s life. Not one of us is immune (and you know what we’re talking about!). So how would you like a promise for victory over temptation? Great news — God has a promise for you!

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Living in God’s Promises

In these reassuring words, God promises you and us deliverance from sin. In other words, this is God’s promise of an “exit.”

God isn’t showing us how to exit our dangerous situations. No, He is showing us how He will provide an exit so we won’t succumb to life’s temptations

So you should not view temptation as a bad thing. It is neither bad nor good. It is simply an opportunity for you to reaffirm and strengthen your faith and trust in God.

And here’s another important fact: Temptation should not be viewed as sin. Rather, giving in to a temptation is sin. Temptation, when resisted, can help build your spiritual muscles much like the iron weights in the gym build up physical muscles.

The more you can hold out against temptation, the stronger your spiritual muscles become. So it’s vital for you to resist temptation as much as you can.

But what if the temptation gets too heavy for you to bear? This is where God’s promise of deliverance comes to your rescue and saves the day.

God’s not a spectator in your lives. He’s actively involved and ever present. He wants to help. And when temptations become too heavy to handle on your own, He delivers you by providing an escape route, an exit out of the temptation. The way out.

RESPOND

Father, You are so good to enable us with Your strength in our time of need. With You at our side, we have nothing to fear. Amen. 

RENEWING RESOURCES  [image error]

A Young Woman's Guide to Making Right Choices: Your Life God's Way by Elizabeth George—A step-by-step process of making decisions that are life-affirming, godly, and wise in areas.

REFLECT

Memorize this verse to help you combat temptation: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

REMEMBER

Temptation should not be viewed as sin. Rather, giving in to a temptation is sin.

God’s Love

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Grace. Just say the word, and many think immediately of the Christian hymn Amazing Grace. And, truly, the story of the writer of this hymn is all about the amazing grace of God.

John Newton was a slave trader who plied his business in the 1800s. He was a rough and immoral man who later described himself as a “wretch”—which, from all accounts, he was...and more!

Through a set of severe, life-threatening circumstances, Newton experienced a dramatic conversion that changed his heart and his way of life. He went on to become a famous preacher and songwriter. No wonder the first line of his hymn marvels, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”

Yes, God’s grace is amazing. What’s more, God says this: My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Unwarranted Mercy 

Have you ever done something bad—really bad? You knew you were wrong, and so did everyone else. And yet, your spouse, or your boss, or your children forgave you? Then you’ve tasted a little of what it means to receive mercy that was not warranted.

That’s what God’s grace is! Simply put, “grace” is God’s mercy, God’s favor—God’s unmerited favor. 

From the very beginning of recorded history, God has demonstrated His favor, starting with Adam and Eve. This couple willfully disobeyed God and deserved the punishment of death for their disobedience. But God showed forth His grace—His favor—toward them instead, which was definitely unmerited!

And so it has been down through Bible history. The nation of Israel is another example of God’s grace. The people deserved destruction, but God was gracious and did not abandon them.

Unmerited Favor

Now let’s fast-forward to today, to you. The Bible clearly states that “all [and that “all” means all!] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Like all those who have gone before you, you don’t deserve God’s favor, either. You deserve death. But (and here comes God’s undeserved favor), “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

Grace is God’s intentional bestowal of His loving favor on those whom He saves. You can’t earn grace. If you could, it would no longer be unmerited. And you cannot save yourselves. Only God can save you. The only way for you to receive this gift of God’s grace is by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24).

Friend, has God’s grace been poured out on you through Jesus Christ? If so, then you have experienced God’s amazing, sufficient, and undeserved grace.

RESPOND

Lord, thank You for Your abounding grace in our lives. May our gratitude abound as well!  Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

Embracing God's Grace: Colossians/Philemon by Elizabeth George—You'll better understand who Christ is and who you are in Him after you complete this wonderful Bible Study!

REFLECT

Forward this devotion to someone you know who could use this reminder of God’s grace.

REMEMBER

Grace is God’s intentional bestowal of His loving favor on those whom He saves. You can’t earn grace.

Love Others

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Have you ever had a fair-weather friend? A so-called friend who bails on you as soon as something bad happens. They are great friends as long as nothing gets complicated or sticky.

Usually this type of friendship is one-way. As long as you do things their way or agree with them, everything is fine. But the minute you speak up or cross them or try being your own person, that “friend” fades away into the night.

A Good Friend

It’s a challenge to be a good friend. Being loyal means being supportive, being ready to assist and encourage. That’s why loyalty is so essential in any friendship. In the Bible (1 Samuel 20:14-17), David and Jonathan’s friendship was characterized by a solid loyalty even in the midst of adversity.

They loved and encouraged each other in the Lord. They stood together through tough times like a set of identical stone bookends. They met as young men and warriors, and our last glimpse of their faithful friendship is of David mourning Jonathan’s death. Theirs was a to-the-end-no-matter-what friendship. You can read about their friendship in.

Loyal or Fair-Weather?

How does your loyalty rate as a friend? Are you “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) or more of a fair-weather friend?

When others think of you, do they think of someone they can trust with their hopes and their troubles? Are you someone they can go to for wise counsel? Are you always open and willing to listen? And do you keep your word? Do you pray for your friends?

When we love people, we can’t help but pray for them because we carry them in our hearts. And when friends are far away and we’re unable to express our love and support personally, we can pray knowing that God hears us.

Jesus prayed for His disciples. Paul prayed for the believers in Philippi, the Christians in Colossae, and for his friends in Ephesus. When it comes to your friends and friendships, there are many reasons to turn to God in prayer! What can you do? 

Praise God for your friends. You’ve been blessed with special people in your life. Give thanks for them.  


Pray for their spiritual well-being and insights. Paul prayed for believers to have their spiritual eyes opened so they would recognize their spiritual blessings. 


Pray for the body of Christ, the church. Pray for your friends to make Jesus the Lord and Savior of their lives. And give thanks for Christ and His leadership. 

Every prayer you lift up for your friends and for others who are placed on your heart reaches God’s ears and heart. Ask Him to use His power, might, strength, and wisdom to help the people you care about. 

It’s so important to have a sister in Christ you can talk with about your faith, sorrows, hopes, doubts, and other needs as a believer. And it’s wonderful to have a friend who will pray for you—and to be the friend who prays!

RESPOND

God, help me to be a good and even better friend to those I know—wise, loyal, and faithful to the end. And Lord, I want to thank You for the friends I have. They are truly a blessing from You! Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES   
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One-Minute Inspirations for Women by Elizabeth George—Pick up this sweet devotional for your friends and shop our Valentine's Day sale.

REFLECT

Consider writing out your prayers for your friends and sending them in a text message, email, or card.

REMEMBER

Aim to be a friend who is characterized by solid loyalty, even in the midst of adversity.