Grateful for Grace

[soso]

Grateful for Grace

We must not see grace as a provision /made /after the law had failed.

Grace was offered /before the law was revealed. Indeed, grace was offered /before man was created!

"You were bought, not with something that ruins like gold or silver,

but with the precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb.

Christ was chosen /before the world was made,

but he was shown to the world in these last times for your sake" (1 Pet. 1:18–20 NCV).

Why would God offer grace /before we needed it? Glad you asked.

Let's return one final time to the charge card () my father gave me.

Did I mention that I went several months without needing it?

But when I needed it, I really needed it. You see, I wanted to visit a friend on another campus.

Actually, the friend was a girl in another city, six hours away.

On an impulse I skipped class one Friday morning and headed out.

Not knowing whether my parents would approve, I didn't ask their permission.

Because I left in a hurry, I forgot to take any money.

I made the trip without their knowledge and with an empty wallet.

Everything went fine until I rear-ended a car on the return trip. 

Using a crowbar, I pried the fender /off my front wheel /so the car could limp to a gas station.

I can still envision the outdoor phone //where I stood in the autumn chill.

My father, who assumed () I was on campus, took my collect call and heard my tale.

My story wasn't much to boast about.

I'd made a trip without his knowledge, without any money, and wrecked his car.

"Well," he said after a long pause, 

"these things happen. That's why I gave you the card. I hope () you learned a lesson."

Did I learn a lesson? I certainly did. I learned that my father's forgiveness predated my mistake. 

He had given me the card before my wreck in the event //that I would have one.

He had provided for my blunder /before I blundered. Need I tell you that God has done the same?

Please understand; Dad didn't want me to wreck the car. He didn't give me the card /so that I would wreck the car.

But he knew his son. And he knew his son would someday need grace.

Please understand; God doesn't want us to sin. He didn't give us grace /so we would sin. 

But he knows his children. "He made their hearts and understands everything () they do" (Ps. 33:15 NCV).

"He knows [how we were made]" (Ps. 103:14 NCV).

And he knew that we would someday need his grace.