Category: Daily Devotionals

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Portraits of Grace – Grecia Guel

      Hi Everyone. My name is Grecia Guel. I was born and raised in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. I was saved at the age of 8 when we had a mini-camp from our Christian School. God granted my wish to go to a Christian College in America, and when I was 19 I went off to study at Golden State Baptist College. I graduated a few years ago and came back home to serve and learn at my church. I´ve had the privilege of teaching in our Christian School, our Bible College, and our church´s and children´s choir. I get the privilege of working with amazing people and learn from them. It´s my desire to increase our faith, trust, and dependence on the Lord, and what better way to do it than by encouraging ourselves through these testimonies and devotionals. Hope its a blessing to you! God bless you! Your Sister in Christ, Grecia Guel

“… for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5

      Remember how in my little bio I said God granted my wish of going off to Bible College in America? Well, that was just the beggining of one of my biggest adventures in which I got to see the very hand of God. When I was 8 years old a group from America came to my church and they sang beautifully, I turned, looked over at my Mom and said: “Mom, when I grow up I will study in America.“

      If I go into all the details I would probably bore all of you, but just to name a few things: My parents got their visas 30 minutes before we were supposed to be at the airport to take the plane. Let´s just say it was a very hectic drive and arrival.

      Getting to college was definitely a life-changing experience. It was my first time being away from home for a long period of time, separated from my family, my first time in a foreign country, my first time speaking a different language and of course my first time in college.

      I remember the first night I slept in the college dorms, I felt so alone and I thought to myself : What were you thinking, Grecia? How did you ever thought you were capable to come all this way and be by yourself? Then a voice that said: “Never alone, you are never alone.”

      When the time for papers and projects came around, all of mine were returned because they were unreadible and pretty much without any logic, so again, I prayed: “Lord, help me.” Across from where I lived there was a girl that was an English major, and one of their projects for their semester was to tutor someone that struggled in English and help them with their projects. I couldn´t believe it. There was the Lord again, watching always over me and saying, “You´re not alone.”

There were several times where I didn´t even have a quarter or a penny in my wallet and there was always someone that would say, “Do you wanna come over to my house to eat with our family? Oh, and bring your laundry!” Again, never alone.

I specifically remember one semester where I thought I was not going to be able to go back because we couldn´t afford it, and how I got a special permit and I was able to work on campus. Also, another time that we were short on money and one of my dad´s friend called and said:  ‘Grecia, my wife and I paid for the rest of your tuition for the semester.” You aren´t alone.

      I have literally hundreds of stories that back up the wonderful and merciful sustaining grace of God, and although the blessing were huge and the miracles enormous, the biggest blessing amongst everything  that I experienced was, to see how God answered my prayers. I learnt how personal and intimate God is. I had gone to church my entire life, and I knew God did great things and answered prayers, but this time, He answered my prayers. He did great things for me. After seeing over and over again that the Old Promise I will never leave you nor forsake you is, was and will be forever true, the only thing I can do is to reciprocate His faithfulness by being faithful and to pay back his undeserving mercy by honoring and serving Him for the rest of my days.

      It is easy to determine in your heart to honor the Lord when you look at your life and you understand that without His faithful grace we would not be here.

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Portraits of Grace – Yolanda Villazana

My name is Yolanda Villazana. My husband, Sergio Villazana, is the pastor of Iglesia Bautista Palabra de Vida in Easley S.C. We have one daughter, Emily, who is one of the greatest blessings God has given us. She is always ready to jump in and help in any area of the ministry. We have served here at the church for twenty years now and am so thankful for what He has done and am looking forward to what the future holds! God bless!

      As I was reading my Bible this morning, the Lord gave me a verse that spoke to me so sweetly. “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:18‬ ‭He has set me where He wants me in the greatly loved body of Christ, but that is not all, it hath pleased Him to do so! I feel so honored… how is it that I…being just me, am here serving my King? I will never understand it all but He chose me and I will serve, during the  mountain tops and also during those dark valleys. It is specifically through those dark valleys that He shows His sustaining grace in the place where He was pleased to set me.  There have been many, many, valleys in my life but God in His divine wisdom knew that it was the only way for me to grow.

      When I was a little girl I was well aware of the trials those around me had been through. My very wise Mother taught us to walk carefully, that a wise person learned from the mistakes of others. I remember that I used to pray the Lord would help me learn without going through a trial, hoping I could avoid the heartache, but it is not possible. We must go through trials in order to grow. In James, He told us of the great result of the trying of our faith.

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:3-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

      In Romans, He also tells us the important result of tribulations in our lives: “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” ‭‭                       Romans‬ ‭5:2-5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

      There will be times in our lives when we will have people we love and serve be the very ones to cause those tribulations. It hurts but we must remember that He placed us where we are because He was pleased to and I must do my Fathers will. He will deal with them, I hurt for them because I love them, I feel the pain of broken fellowship, but my Lord, went through so much more hurt, pain and rejection, how can I expect better.

      I am an imperfect vessel, trying every day to be more like Him, to love like Him and forgive like Him, but I fall so short. So, I will rest in the fact, no, I will rejoice in the fact that it pleased Him to set me here, where I am. I will continue to strive to do my best with elegance, grace, and wisdom because I am representing a sweet little church at the bottom of a hill, and I am representing a kingdom greater than any other, for mine is a heavenly kingdom and my King, the Creator of the universe.

      I find it so amazing that He chose me, and even more amazing are the promises that He will equip me, will never leave me, and He so lovingly sustains me, by His grace. How great and kind and loving is the God I serve, my God, my Father and dearest Friend.

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Portraits of Grace – Lisa Hammill (part 2)

      A portrait is defined as “a verbal picture or description, usually of a person.” Grace in the dictionary means “a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior.” For the child of God, our earthly life is full of these “pictures” reminding us of God’s goodness.

      Most importantly would be the portrait of grace in salvation. Knowing we could do nothing to merit forgiveness for sin, Christ willingly gave His own life in exchange for ours so that we could escape eternal punishment and spiritual death. There is no greater love than the love our Heavenly Father has for His children and that is shown in the perfect portrait of Calvary.

      After salvation, we often forget how much we need the Lord and how He desires fellowship with His child. When these times come, He sends reminders our way to humble us and teach us to look toward Him again. I was reminded of this just this past week in a situation with my brother, David. David is 28 years old and mentally disabled. My husband and I took over his care after the unexpected passing of my parents two years ago. David was very close to my mom and was unhappy anytime she wasn’t around. Since I have taken over the role as mother-figure, he is the same way with me now.

This particular day last week I had to run a quick errand. As always, David asked to ride with me and I said, “Just let me run by myself. I’ll be right back.” Those quick retreats are often the only quiet times I can get and sometimes I just like to sneak away and clear my mind. However, David insisted and I complied. Sometimes you just have to pick your battles.

      I glared out the windshield, wishing for my alone time that never came. All of a sudden, David reached up and rubbed the back of my hand. I looked at him, with those big, brown eyes and that loving grin and realized he just wanted to be with me. He didn’t want to go anywhere. We didn’t even have to do anything fun. He just wanted to be where I was.  Instantly the Lord pricked my heart. I thought, “How many times has the Lord looked my way and nudged my heart to spend time with Him for just a few minutes?” How many times have I chosen my own desires and been too busy to stop and look back His way?

1 Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom ye were called
unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Not only does He desire our fellowship, but we are also called to fellowship with Him. This fellowship is necessary to have unity with our Savior. We must make this a priority in the midst of the craziness of our day. Look forward to the times that He may summons you. Always be ready to sneak away and commune with Him for just a moment.

      Time after time our Lord will use different situations to humble us. In the same way that we would display portraits of loved ones throughout our home, our hearts should contain portraits of His grace reminding us that we are so loved by Him. Let’s take time to venture through the hallway of our heart and remember the moments that those portraits represent.

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Portraits of Grace – Lisa Hammill (part 1)

I was saved when I was a young girl in first grade. I attended a Christian school and remember our teacher talking to us about salvation. The Holy Spirit began to draw me to Him, and one day in the school office I knelt and asked the Lord to save me, and I believe He did!

Unfortunately, as a teenager I strayed away from the innocence I had known as a child and began to live a life contrary to what a child of God should. The Lord had my number though. Even though I was in the world, I never truly felt I belonged there.

After college I came home and was offered a chance to go on a mission trip to Jamaica, which I accepted. I had heard the stories and the testimonies of how the Lord changed lives on this trip. I knew that life as I knew it was over and begged the Lord to give me a chance to live like a true Christian should. He did.

On this trip, the Lord showed me that being saved is just the beginning. I had no idea how alive the Lord could be in your daily life. I began to look to Him in every decision and allowed Him to use me like never before. He birthed in me a love for missions and a great desire to be in the ministry. A year later, I met Nathan and soon after we were married.

We began our life in the ministry just three short months after we were married, becoming houseparents at our church’s boarding school. We were barely in our twenties and had no clue how to care for the troubled teens we now lived with. This forced us to depend wholly and completely on the Lord for guidance which set a strong foundation for our marriage.

The Lord has taken us down some crazy paths but we have always trusted His hand to lead us where He wants. If we follow our own hearts and do what WE feel is right, we will end up making a mess of things. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us how our heart cannot be trusted, even though we may choose things that we feel is right.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

In 2009, the Lord led my husband to accept the pastorate at Open Door Baptist where we are now and hope to stay for many years. We are so thankful for providing for our needs, time and time again, and also granting us personal desires as well. He has blessed us with three wonderful, healthy children, and the privilege to care for my special needs brother since my parents’ passing.

My prayer is that I would be found faithful to the grave or until His return whichever should come first.

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Portraits of Grace – Veneda White

The Effects of Redeeming Grace

Romans 3:24-26 “Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to
be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just,
and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

My name is Veneda Williams White, MK from Mexico. I studied at Tennessee Temple University. Married my husband, Troy White, in December 1981, and arrived back in Mexico in 1983. We now have 36 years of service in Mexico.

I am sure that all of us would agree that redeeming grace has to be the first and far most important aspect of grace in general. Justification, reconciliation, and sanctification are effects of redeeming grace in our lives. However, we as God’s children refuse to sanctify ourselves causing others to reject that redeeming grace.

They say that the slave market of many years ago where some of the bought slaves were set free is a picture of redemption. Although a good comparison, spiritual redemption is so much more. To be released from our bondage of sin by the purchased price of the blood of Jesus Christ is to be purchased, forgiven, and justified (Rom. 3:24-27; I Peter 1:18-19).

Now justification and reconciliation are two of the first effects of redeeming grace. Justification is, according to Strong’s Concordance, “acquittal” (for Christ’s sake). Simply put, not guilty! (II Cor. 5:19). We become righteous in God’s sight. He no longer sees our sins. It is as if we had never sinned (II Cor. 5:21). This is where reconciliation comes in (Col. 1:20-22). God puts us in the right relationship with Him for Christ’s sake (Eph. 2:8-9).

Sanctification from the Greek “Hagiasmos” means “consecration, purification, and the effects of consecration”. The effect of sanctification is being holy, just, pure, righteous, and godly. Titus 2:12 tells us “Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” I John 2:15-17 confirm this. Why then is sanctification and consecration not practiced in our lives and in our churches any longer? God Himself says in     Lev. 20:7, “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy…” In I Peter 1:15-16 “… Be ye holy, for I am Holy.”

Ladies, I cannot stress enough the need we have to maintain a Godly testimony. We MUST be Christ-like. How can we show the world the need for redemption when we look like them (dress, tattoos, body piercings, etc.), do and act like them (Rom. 1:29-31), go to the same places as they do (casinos, movie theaters, etc.), and many “churches” look like discos, with that type of music. We have changed to “fit in” or to “make them feel comfortable”. NO! I tell you, we MUST live Godly in this present world! We MUST tell sinners they are on their way to hell and their need for Redeeming Grace. Teach it as it truly is: God sent His Son to die for all sinners; He shed His precious, just and holy blood for all who would repent and believe on Him. He took our place and paid the only price available for our sins. THAT IS REDEEMING GRACE!

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Portraits of Grace – Melissa Moore

My name is Melissa Moore. I am an Evangelist wife, Mom of two, a singer, want to be a songwriter, but most importantly a child of God. My family travels in Mission Evangelism to help churches with revival, mission conferences, or special meetings. Our heart, however, is to minister to Missionaries. We like to refer to our ministry as a “Missionary to the Missionary”. My heart’s desire is to serve the Lord in any capacity I can so that He can get glory and honor from my life.

John 1:16 “And of his fulness have all we
received, and grace for grace.” 

Getting ready for bed, I looked at my phone. There were the post, “ I lost 20 lbs” ; “ Please pray for my family.” ; You know , the stuff social media is made of. As I continued to scroll, I saw a quote. At first, I just passed it but the words caught my attention and I scrolled back up to take it in again.

“Grace changes everything.”

It made my mind go back through the years of my life and recount all the times I have seen the sufficiency of God’s grace. His love manifested through His grace. I first received this grace as salvation. Where were you? I was but a six-year-old girl. I lived in a pastor’s home, didn’t know anything but church, prayer, hymns, God’s love, but even then I had to experience that the love of God came down to me through the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ. I didn’t know what all that grace did for me, or would do for me, but on that day in my home by the family coffee table, I received the first experience of grace. Salvation Amazingly, God’s grace didn’t stop there.

My life has seen grace through the trials, grace through the travels, grace in suffering. We often ask ourselves what was it about us that the Lord looked on us in such love and covered us with His grace? Just one reason: Jesus. We receive grace because His Son paid our debt. We can all look back through the circumstances of our life and there are defining moments when the grace of our Saviour changed us. There we were, lost, without hope. Only one thing could pull us out of our wretchedness. Grace.

I fail the Lord constantly. It may be with a thought, a word, a deed. One day while pining over the things I just could not seem to accomplish for the Lord, struggling and not seemingly being able to attain what I thought was a more spiritual level, I started reading in my Bible. Galatians 2. As I looked up from verse 20 quoting it from memory, The Lord drew me back. “Just read.” I returned to the page and couldn’t believe my eyes. “I do not frustrate the grace of God.” I was taken aback. I had never seen that there before. “HOW? How do I not frustrate His grace? I frustrate myself! I am frustrated at my sin. God pulled me back that day. I found out that He gives grace for grace. Grace stacked upon grace.

I am drawn back to the story of the Prophet Hosea. Years of unfaithfulness, his wife now stood on the auction block to be sold to the highest bidder. The onlookers awaited for what they thought would be the end of her life as her husband paid the price once again for her freedom. As Hosea reached for his bride, she may have tensed waiting for the blow that would come. Her mind replayed all those times she had wronged him. He had shown her love, yet she only repaid him with rebellion, selfishness, unfaithfulness. Yet that day as he pulled her into his arms, he whispered sweetness and love into her ears. Those loving arms reminded her he remained the same. What the crowd saw that day was more than just love. They saw a portrait of grace. Gomer was aware of one thing that day, “Grace changes everything.”

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Portraits of Grace – Deborah Davis

My name is Deborah Davis.  I am privileged to be a mother, grandmother and most recently a great-grandmother.  My husband and I have been blessed to be in ministry for Him for almost forty-seven years.  My husband presently pastors Grace Baptist Church in Hampton, South Carolina.  How God has knit our hearts to the precious people here in the Low County of South Carolina.

Portraits of Grace 

Titus 2:11 – “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”  Saving Grace motivates me because it was wrought by the Person of God.  God’s divine Purpose from the Garden of Eden was to bring salvation.  I can sense the continual Presence of God, because this Grace “hath appeared to all men.”  I would be amiss in looking at this Saving Grace, not to praise Him for the night He saved me.

Titus 2:12 – “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”  The Grace of God is also a Schooling and Sanctifying Grace.  This Grace is the master teacher, to  instruct and train.  It instructs us to deny worldliness.  Not many of us want to deny ourselves anything.  Self sacrifice is not what most want to hear, much less learn.  Schooling Grace instructs us to dedicate our will to the Lord.  This Grace is calling for commitment!  It teaches us to hate wickedness and have a reverence toward God.  We are to turn from the passionate desires of this present age and have a well balanced sound mind.  We are thus trained to live a life on which God can place His approval.

Titus 2:13 – “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”  “Looking for that blessed hope.” What a Stirring Portrait of Grace that motivates, sustains, and stirs us. All my life I have set short term goals for myself.  It tends to keep me disciplined and organized with my time.  This is the ultimate goal!  One day our beautiful and beloved Saviour will appear for us.

Titus 2:14 – “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”  He gave Himself! It is Easter weekend as I pen this devotion.  I think of the Garden of  Gethsemane where Jesus prayed alone, as sweat like drops of blood fell to the ground.  Supplying Grace gave in behalf of sinful man, when He was betrayed, beaten, mocked, and crucified.  Compassionate Grace rescued us, a lawless people.  Supplying Grace was given to make us a private possession of God. 

Titus 2:15 – “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority.  Let no man despise thee.”  In closing Paul admonishes us to speak up, teach, and reprimand.  Many times I have been intimidated to speak up or correct for fear of being labeled legalistic.  We should not be ashamed, but should keep urging our hearers.  We can rebuke with full authority those who rebel.  Shamelessly stand and do not let anyone disregard you by out thinking you.  Boldly make it clear that we must obey God’s instructions, if we are to please Him.  We are to continue in this Shameless and Sharing Grace of God.

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Portraits of Grace – Rebecca Cultrara

My name is Rebecca Cultrara. I have been a wife for 30 years, a mom for 29 years, a teacher for 10 years, librarian for 6 years and a Pastor’s wife for 12 years. I live in Frewsburg, NY with my husband and oldest son. My two younger sons have autism and live in group homes in the Buffalo area.

My life as a wife began on July 30, 1988. This was a journey I could never imagine being on when I was younger. As any girl dreams, I wanted to get married and have a family. I had no idea my family would not be like I had imagined. God blessed us with 3 wonderful sons. We would learn a few years later our middle son had autism. That took us on a new journey into the world of autism. This was something we had not planned on. Neither did we plan it when your youngest son was also diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years old. His diagnosis came a couple of years after his other health issues. I knew we had not planned to have special needs children. God planned it. We were chosen to parent these special guys.

I look back over our lives while the boys were growing up and I realize, even though it was hard at times, I wouldn’t change a thing. We dealt with our middle sons’ bolting which led me to putting a twin bed in their room and a lock on the door. I couldn’t sleep unless I was in their room. This continued for 6 years. The boys lack of fear was fear of mine. My youngest (he was 3) got outside when my oldest went to get something out of the car for his dad. I chased my baby down the sidewalk towards a busy street. He was laughing and I was praying he wouldn’t get hit by a car. Just as he got to the intersection, out of no where a man jumps off his bike and grabs my son and puts him in my arms. I cried and hugged my baby and when I looked up he was gone. If you ask me, I’d say he was an angel.

My sons’ disabilites never kept us from serving the Lord. My husband and I worked at a Christian school for many years. We both taught and he was also the principal. It wasn’t long before he felt the call to be a pastor. Finding the right place wasn’t easy. Some places weren’t accepting of our sons. We even had a friend of ours tell us, as long as we had the boys at home, my husband would never pastor. He was so wrong. God brought us to Frewsburg. The people here fell in love with our sons and welcomed us with open arms.

I was asked once if I ever asked “Why God?” Why me? My answer, Nope. I know God gave me my sons for a very special reason and my job is not to ask why but to give them all the love in world I can. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They are my world. I am on Facebook and part of pages that deal with autism. Its amazing how many moms I have been able to help, because I have gone through what they are going through now. My sons are now 22 and 26. We have been on a new journey in the world of adult autism. We don’t know what the future holds, but for now we are keeping the faith and trusting God to continue to guide us through our journey.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

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Portraits of Grace – Stephanie Simpson

My name is Stephanie Simpson. I have been widowed for 4 ½ years. I’m a mother of 4 children ages 17-25. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I spent 9 years as a missionary’s kid in France, 3 years in the BEAMS ministry with my husband and 12 years as a Pastor’s wife. I am currently serving in my church as Sunday School teacher and church pianist.

I experienced God’s saving grace at the age of seven. Little did I know then how much God’s sustaining grace would be experienced in my life from that day forward. The moment we accept Christ as Savior we are not promised a life of ease. We do, however, have the promise in Hebrews 13:5b that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us. That is a promise I’ve learned to hold onto through the years.

As a child I experienced some rejection from peers and public school teachers because of my Christian beliefs. I had to start learning then to look to the Lord for help and strength. Teenage and college years had their own issues- separation from family, life decisions, courtships, etc. God’s grace saw me through yet another phase of life.

Then came married life and motherhood. If you are a wife or mother, you know the struggles that come with the responsibilities. Out of those twenty-one years, three were spent in mission work and twelve were spent as a Pastor’s wife. Those fifteen years were spent trying to encourage my husband, protect my children, share in others burdens and help in all areas of ministry I possibly could. God’s grace was ever present during these years as well.

In August of 2014, I experienced something I never thought I would have to…the death of my husband. It came as a total shock to us all- complications from a kidney stone! My world was instantly shattered. Somehow through those fourteen days of waiting in the hospital for a miracle, I experienced God’s grace. He gave me a peace and a strength that I knew only He could give at a time like this. 2 Cor. 12: 8-10 became real in my life. Through the funeral, my Lord was there, every minute, upholding me with His strength and giving oh such sweet peace.

“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” II Corinthians 12:8-10

It’s been almost five years now since Jeff’s passing. There have been so many challenges with finances, being a single mom, experiencing loneliness and just dealing with the daily struggles of life. The struggles are real and the devil wants nothing more than for me to stay defeated and throw in the towel. That’s where God’s grace steps in once again. I go to the scriptures and start grabbing hold of those precious promises such as 1 John 4:4 which assure me that … ”greater is he that is in you, than, he that is in the world.” I must totally rely on the Lord. It is so important to maintain a daily walk with Him. It is during these precious moments alone with God that He imparts His truths and promises and renews our strength daily. It’s a day by day, moment by moment communion. It involves placing complete trust in Him. He is my Father, my Husband and my Comforter. Knowing this, I should be able to rest in His strong arms and trust Him enough to handle any trial or situation that comes my way, no matter how impossible it may seem. There’s nothing too big that God cannot handle. (Luke 18:27) The outcome may not always be as we had planned but it will always be how God had it planned. His ways are perfect and He knows what’s best for my life and gives grace for every trial and every mile of this earthly journey. We must remember that God gets the glory in all. As the old hymn so wonderfully says, …”His grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

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Portraits of Grace – Melinda Whittemore

Hi. My name is Melinda Whittemore. I currently live in Western North Carolina. I am a single mom to a beautiful creative daughter. Being raised in South Texas gave me the advantage of being bilingual in Spanish/English, which I use daily in the world of Insurance. God has allowed me to be my church pianist and allows my Sunday Mornings to be filled with a wonderful group of 9-12 year olds. Cooking and music are my spare time fillers and I love a good sunrise.

I look forward to this road wherever God chooses to take
me until grace leads me home!

One of my favorite accounts of grace is that of the prodigal son’s father, Luke 15:11-32. His dad was such a gracious individual . Scripture shares a moment came where his son wanted his inheritance, and wanted to walk away from the safest love he had ever known. The father listened to the son’s heart. He granted his request with favor, unmerited I might add. Evidently days went by after the dispersment before the son gathered his things and moved out.

Can you imagine watching, yet distance was granted by the father. As his boy left, scripture says that the son went into a far country and became a citizen. As the story moves along we find this gracious man’s son leaning over the pig’s food with hunger because all the father had given him was wasted on an empty lifestyle. Here he is hungry and dreaming about the servants he had grown up with. Oh to be one of my dad’s busboys!! Just to have supper once again where it’s safe and warm.

The Holy Spirit took time to write these words, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired  servants.” Listen to these words, do they sound familiar? His heart told him that he was unworthy; his actions convinced him that his choices were not that of a child of his father’s character. His feet though moved him to walk back to the place he knew where he would have satisfaction for the hunger.

As he returned a far way off, Dad was looking off in the distance, looking for his boy. The son saw himself as unworthy but the father saw him as HIS. As he ran to meet him, what the Father did not do is what shows grace to my heart. He didn’t say, do you know how many lonely nights I have waited for you, looked for you, do you not know what reputation this family has in the community? Do you realize what you have done? YOU knew better, you were not raised that way!! I have been the perfect parent to you, I gave you what you wanted now look at you. NO!!

He spoke nothing but made his body a covering over hungry ribs and kissed the husk stained face of a son he loved. He had planned for this day!! He dressed and adorned. Not out of approval but out of GRACE! He gave him more than he had when he left. Grace didn’t change this boy’s past but it made his future accountable by love. Oh Father, help us to never forget the grace you have shown us. Help us to show your grace and goodness in a manner that would lead men to repentance and a closer walk with you!