For Emergency Use Only
By Elin Henderson
“Let us therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
Wouldn’t it be great if we could store up a Grace First Aid Kit? You know, God could give us a “for emergency use only” grace pack that we keep on hand. Either that, or we could store up all the grace we have received, like in a special “grace tank,” and whenever we need more just open the tap. If it were only that easy!By Elin Henderson
“Let us therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)
While His grace is available anytime we need it and always in measure to the sufferings that we go through, it is expendable and can’t be saved up for future use. It is a one-time use only kit that fortifies us but can’t be hoarded away for another day…grace sufficient for the day, help in time of need. If we had it on hand, we would tend to try and treat ourselves with our emergency kit instead of call upon the Great Physician of Grace to be our treatment.
It is a lot like eating healthy. If you eat lots of healthy food every day and one day come upon a time of famine, can you all of the sudden dip into your reservoir and find more food? No, your food has benefited you and as a result of it you are stronger and can endure the famine longer than others who have not been investing in healthy eating, but the food itself is not there, it has become part of you.
Grace is like that, it becomes part of who we are. It infuses into our being and changes us, but it cannot be extracted at will for further use! It does help us when we face discouraging or challenging times, because we have grown and know that just as before, God will help us again. We can endure!
So rather than looking for a quick fix of grace or an on-hand “grace pack,” may we desire to grow in grace. May it become an integral part of who we are. And as we look to the Giver of all Grace, may we rest in the knowledge that He will infuse into us just the amount of grace we need for this trial. And, through that, we will be fortified for what lies ahead.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Read Romans 5:1-5. What godly character is built into us as His grace is infused into our being? How will you act on that today?
FURTHER READING:
1 Corinthians 1:6; 1 Peter 5:10
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to ten-year-old Callie and seven-year-old Elias.
