Abounding Grace: Help in the Moment

Sunday we will consider our opportunity to “receive” aid from God to “help in our time of need.” Before we consider what “grace and mercy” are, let’s notice three things. First, we are told that in God’s presence we can expect to “receive” from God. We walk into God’s throne with our hands open, with our requests ready. That’s the kind of confidence the author speaks of.

Second, consider that what we receive “helps” us. The word comes out of the fishing and boating culture. When the wooden ships faced intense storms, they pulled out bands that were wrapped around the ship to hold it together. What God does for us as we engage him is give us what we need to hold us together, to brace us against the storms of life.

Third, notice that what we receive from God is said to help us in our immediate experience. The Apostle knows that God’s people are facing intense persecution and the temptation to abandon their confession of faith in Christ. These “moments” were not first world problems but the intense pressures of a world turned against them. The mercy and grace from God that we receive sustains us in those moments. Join us Sunday as we explore these statements!