Thursday, March 1, 2012

Through the Eyes of Grace, Words to share from the Heart of Sara Young

Through the Eyes of Grace

Often I write about how life is about choices... and you have that choice to see the world, your family and your friends through the eyes of Grace. Choosing grace is up to you, just as choosing joy or choosing love.

 Terry's dad, Ben Pace,  always said, "You can get glad just like you got mad."

Sarah Young is a name I came across with reference to a book "Jesus is Calling".   I read about her journey with life and death.  I discovered her through another blog Polished Stone Ministry and was moved to find out more about this young woman.  Her illness kept her confined, but her outlook was through the eyes of grace. I found so many blogs out in the blogger world that were tied to her blog or followed her writings, and was moved to tears as I read.

Click here to read more about her book on Facebook.

Words to share from the heart, Laurie

The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.  He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love.  He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.  Zephaniah 3:17

Here is part of the excerpt on Polished Stone Ministry:


SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012

Eyes of grace

This devotional from Jesus Lives by Sarah Young, brought me much comfort...and conviction:

I comprehend you in all your complexity; I understand you with absolute accuracy; no detail of your life is hidden from Me.  Yet you need not be afraid of My intimate awareness, because I view you through eyes of grace.
Were I to look at you otherwise - through eyes of the law rather than eyes of grace - it could be terrifying to you.  Unfortunately, you often view yourself that way: legalistically evaluating how well you're performing.  When you think about it, you realize how silly that is, because your performance will never be sufficient to meet My holy standard.
Instead of focusing on your performance, come to Me and receive my unfailing Love.  You are troubled by fear of failure, but My Love for you will never fail.
Here is what I see as I view you through eyes of grace:  You look regal, for I have clothed you in My royal righteousness.  You are radiant, especially when you are gazing at Me.  You look lovely as you reflect My Glory back to Me.  In fact, you delight Me so much that I rejoice over you with shouts of Joy!
Because I am infinite, I can see you simultaneously as you are now and as you will be in heaven.  The present view helps Me work with you on things you need to change.  The heavenly vision enables Me to love you with perfect, everlasting love.  
The best way to see through eyes of grace is to gaze through the lens of My unfailing Love.  As you persevere in this practice, you will gradually find it easier to extend grace both to yourself and to others.

How priceless is your unfailing love!  Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.  Psalm 36:7

I sought the Lord and he answered me: he delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.  Psalm 34:4-5

The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.  He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love.  He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.  Zephaniah 3:17

Eyes of grace...
So thankful that God sees us through His eyes of grace, especially since He sees us so thoroughly.  We strive so hard to make our outward appearance and our outward works to be "easy on the eyes" of others...but God looks on the heart, where He sees both the love we have there but also those things which we try to hide in the deepest, darkest regions of our soul.
God needs thick lenses of grace to look at me. 
And I need to seek to be Christ-like by finding my own pair of grace glasses to wear so I can view others in the same fashion.  To view others through lenses of grace not only benefits the subject, but the viewer as well as we see others the way Jesus sees them.





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Word of the Heart to share.... by Laurie Pace