God's Presence and God's Grace

Jim:

Deuteronomy 12:1-12
Verse 11 says, "…then you shall bring everything that I command you to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name…" It is uplifting to me to realize that God's presence in our lives is God's chloice, not ours; that God draws us to God, not the other way around. The writer of Deuteronomy was warning the people of Israel against idol worship, and the effect is to remind us that God is all we need in our living, that God as a source of grace is more than sufficient.

2 Corinthians 6:3-7:1
In verse 6:16 Paul quotes Leviticus 26:12: "I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Like Deuteronomy, Paul is urging his readers to separate themselves from pagan practices, but here again we are reminded of the nearness of God and of God's grace and love.

Luke 17:11-19
The grace of God is seen again in Luke where Jesus heals ten lepers. When only one of them returns to give thanks Jesus tells him, "your faith has made you well." To accept the presence of God and God's grace in our midst and to believe in this God of love is to find healing and hope for our lives. Our faith does make us well in so many ways.