Oakwood Church Fresh Start Women's Devotional Encouragement for Today Hartland Delafield

Grace²

By Elin Henderson

“…but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.”

Romans 5:20b (NKJV)

We all know that things these days are getting uglier and uglier. Sin, in its variety of forms, plagues us all and isn’t a favor of persons; quote unquote saved people are often exposed to serious sin just as unsaved, worldly people are. Some of us come from families where deep-rooted shame and sin were prevalent. Others are working in an atmosphere that is inundated with sin. Very few, if any of us, escape the grips and consequences of it. 

This verse in Romans 5:20 gives us a tremendous piece of hope. Where sin exists, it’s like Grace exists in ² or “squared” form.  For those of us who aren’t up on our math, to “square” something is to multiply it by itself, in other words “to the power of 2.” So, if the sin in your family was a “5” then Grace was 5² (5x5=25).  The more the sin, the more the grace that abounds. If your workplace rates a whopping “50” then Grace rates a SUPER WHOPPING 50² or 2,500!  Granted, this is just our number system, God’s could very well be WAY more!!

No matter the dysfunction you are in or come from, where sin abounds, grace abounds MUCH MORE! It turns us from victims to conquerors! True, we may have been wronged, but the grace available for healing and restoration is SO MUCH MORE than the hurt and sin ever was, if only we will embrace it! 

So, even more than just the word sufficient, we find His grace to come in the square form of abounding to compensate for the pain! This concept is really mind blowing (in my opinion) and has the power to change the view of our past, present and even future if we allow it!  Let Grace² be the motto of our lives today!   

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Do you think that Grace³ (to the power of 3) or even Grace⁴ (to the power of 4) could exist?  Or could we also call it Grace^God  “Grace to the power of God”? WOW!

2.  How can we share our Grace² with others when we tell our life story?

FURTHER READING:

2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 4:16

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to fourteen-year-old Callie and twelve-year-old Elias.