Somebody Say Grace
“And of His fullness, we have all received, and grace for grace.” — John 1:16, NKJV
You’re gathered around the dinner table, and before anyone puts a bite of food in their mouth, you hear the phrase, “Somebody say grace.”
Saying grace is the most important part of the meal, for it’s a time when we thank God for the provisions He has given us.
As a child, I can remember being taught this simple blessing —
God is great, and God is good.
Let us thank Him for our food.
Bow our heads; let’s all be fed.
Give us, Lord, our daily bread.
Amen. (Author unknown) But guess what? When I Googled this blessing to see who the author was, I didn’t find these words. This is what I found —
God is great, and God is good.
And we thank God for our food.
By God’s hand, we must be fed.
Give us, Lord, our daily bread.
Amen. (Author unknown) Is it possible that I have been saying it wrong all these years? That I taught my children the wrong words? And now, they’ll teach their children what they learned?
Or could it be a case of Ebonics, where, down through the years, this blessing conformed to what a person heard versus what they could read?
Well, it doesn’t matter what version you learned; as long as it comes from a grateful heart, God will accept it.
However, let’s change positions. Instead of us offering grace unto God showing our gratitude for what He has provided, put yourself on the receiving end of grace.
Grace. The unmerited favor of God. Simply put, grace is receiving a gift from God that we don’t deserve.
In the Online Blue Letter Bible, a word search reveals that grace occurs 148 times in 137 verses in the New King James translation of the Bible.
Verses such as — “And Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8)
“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
And here’s another one, “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) — these verses offer us passage to one of the many facets of God.
It is grace for grace.
The Amplified Translation of our scripture for today reads, “For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].”
John’s testimony was an affirmation that Jesus does not lack in any area. He is a reservoir that never runs dry. No matter how much we receive of Him, we can never deplete or exhaust His reserve.
If you continuously go to an ATM to withdraw money and never make a deposit, sooner or later, your funds are going to run out. Well, it’s not that way with Jesus. Through Christ, God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory. (Philippians 4:19) The only thing we’re required to put in or deposit is faith and trust. Faith and trust are two keys on the keychain that unlock the treasure chest filled with treasures.
No matter how many times you may need healing, it’s available to you each time you pray.
No matter how many times you may need a breakthrough, the God of the breakthrough is available to you every time you pray.
No matter how many times you may need a financial blessing, it’s yours for the asking.
If you trust and believe, you will receive in God’s perfect timing.
Today, Christ is offering you grace for grace.
So, we bow our heads, as we all are fed.
Join me next week for more Coffee on The Couch.