Daily Thoughts

Uplifting Daily Christian Thoughts

Wednesday, June 14

Daily Bible Reading

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 20:1 - 21:22

New Testament Acts 8:4 - 40

Psalms/Proverbs Proverbs 14:25-35

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

Shooting the Right Arrow
Hard Things
THE GOSPEL VERSUS MAGIC
THE DIVINE WIND
Get a Grip

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Grace

Charles Stanley tells the story of a professor who wanted to teach his students a lesson about grace.

"One of my more memorable seminary professors had a practical way of illustrating to his students the concept of grace. At the end of his evangelism course he would distribute the exam with the caution to read it all the way through before beginning to answer it. This caution was written on the exam as well. As we read the test, it became unquestionably clear to each of us that we had not studied nearly enough.

The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard through out the lecture hall. On the last page, however, was a note that read, "You have a choice. You can either complete the exam as given or sign your name at the bottom and in so doing receive an A for this assignment."

Wow! We sat there stunned. "Was he serious? Just sign it and get an A?" Slowly, the point dawned on us, and one by one we turned in our tests and silently filed out of the room.

When I talked with the professor about it afterward, he shared some of the reactions he had received through the years.

Some students began to take the exam without reading it all the way through, and they would sweat it out for the entire two hours of class time before reaching the last page.

Others read the first two pages, became angry, turned the test in blank, and stormed out of the room without signing it. They never realized what was available, and as a result, they lost out totally.

One fellow, however, read the entire test, including the note at the end, but decided to take the exam anyway. He did not want any gifts; he wanted to earn his grade. And he did. He made a C+, but he could easily have had an A."

This story illustrates many people's reaction to God's solution to sin.

Some people look at God's standard -- moral and ethical perfection -- and throw their hands up in surrender. Why even try? they tell themselves. I could never live up to all that stuff.

Some people spend an entire lifetime angry at the God who desires to give them grace.

Others are like the student who read the test through and was aware of the professor's offer but took the test anyway. Unwilling to simply receive God's gift of forgiveness, they set about to rack up enough points with God to earn it. They depend upon morality and good deeds to get them into heaven, and they do their best to work their way into God's approval.

Unfortunately, nothing less than a perfect score will do - and only by God's grace can any of us achieve a perfect score.

Like the professor in the story, God makes an offer that seems to be too good to be true. But the truth is, it's the only question that ultimately matters. Would you take the grace of God, or reject it?

By Charles Stanley

Romans 8:31-32: What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

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