Grace For Today And Bright Hope For 2023

Several weeks ago I knew that my word for 2023 was going to be grace. The word grace was popping up everywhere - in my devotions, on my keychain, on a new t-shirt, on a card Danny got for me, in our Sunday sermons and many other unexpected places. This repetition touched my heart and made me want to learn more about God's grace in the coming year.

What exactly do I want to know?

* What God's definition of grace is. Our most popular question in the teen room at church is "But what does that MEAN?" We can use words and phrases all the time but never really understand them. In my daily Scripture study, I'm looking for any hints, examples and clues - and outright definitions - of what God says His grace looks like. And I've got my highlighter ready!

* How His grace affects me personally. I'm an incredibly practical person, and I want to learn from His word what He plans to use His grace to accomplish in my life. As I surrender myself to Him every day, I want to take special note of what His grace changes, affects, removes and adds to my everyday life. It's an exciting proposition!

* What the results of His grace are. Scripture is full of examples, Old and New Testament alike, of what God's grace can do in a believer's life. These stories are all the encouragement I need to trust God's grace to touch lives, encourage us when we need it most and give us exactly what we need before we even know we need it.

* Who else I can share God's grace with. While there are so many people I come into contact with every day who I can share His grace with, I also realize that I need to show myself grace as well. I can be my own toughest critic, and extending grace to myself is often the biggest challenge of all.

I look forward to this journey of discovery through 2023 as God works grace in and through me for my good and His glory. What's your word for the year, and how has He already show Himself faithful?

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