You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor,

so that you through His poverty might become rich.

II Corinthians 8:9

Grace. What a beautiful word – divine favor, underserved gift. Those who believe in Christ are the recipients of God’s redemptive mercy and grace. What greater joy can there be than to know we have received such a gift? We could not pay our own debt, but Christ became poor, leaving His heavenly place so that we might be made rich in grace.

We could not save ourselves, yet God in His loving-kindness made a way for us to be forgiven.  It is not what we have done, but what Christ did for us on the cross. Spurgeon said, “Thou hast need of nothing beyond what there is in Him. In Him thou art at this moment just, in Him entirely clean, in Him an object of divine approval and eternal love.”[i]

At this time of year, we rejoice in His divine grace toward us. Let us linger at the manger and ponder this unspeakable gift, this kindness God has shown us in sending His Son Jesus. In the hustle of the season, let us step aside and hear His voice calling our name to come abide, rest and be thankful for His rich mercy toward us.

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[i] Charles H. Spurgeon, Complete in Christ and Love’s Logic, (Whitefish, MT:Kessinger Publishing, 2006) p. 27.