My new backyard has me looking at the Superstition Mountains. Each morning and evening when I look at their majesty, I find myself using an old expression, Goodness Gracious. That’s something my grandmother would have said.
I started thinking – what does that really mean? When she said it, it would have meant
“God, you are so good; look at the beauty You have designed”.
What does it mean to be gracious? Some definitions are godly character, kindness, dignity, mericiful, compassionate. Gracious – displaying grace.
Nature is a display of God’s goodness and grace.
So what is grace?
Grace: receiving the goodness of God that we don’t deserve. It is given freely with no strings attached. The grace of God took Jesus to the cross long before we were ever born so that we could be brought into right relationship with the Father.
In II Peter 3, the entire chapter is written about the return of the Lord to earth. Peter says that some will grow weary waiting, others will call it foolish but he admonishes us to be ready. God is not willing that any should perish but He desires that all should repent. The reason it’s taking so long for Him to return is the Father wants all to come to salvation in Him. He wants everyone to experience His grace; He is gracious!
We are to grow in grace. That doesn’t mean we acquire more grace but that we understand the scope of God’s grace to a greater extent. When we are born human, we have all the “humanness” we will ever have but we grow in our capacity to understand and function in our humanity. It’s the same with our life given to us by grace.
As we grow in our knowledge of the Father, we see more clearly how His grace is given to each and everyone of us. We see that He has provided for us through His amazing love and goodness. He is merciful and He is gracious (full of grace). We are to be like Him. Growing in grace causes us to see that our failures and those of others are covered by His grace and so we can go forward, forgiving as we ourselves have been forgiven.
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” II Peter 3:18 KJV
or maybe you understand it better this way
“Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:18 CEV
I pray that you have “goodness – gracious” moments in your day. Things that take your breath away – things that remind you of God’s goodness and grace!