Think of justice, mercy and grace. If we are guilty, then we deserve justice. Or if we are guilty maybe we can hope for mercy. Grace is completely different. Yes, we are guilty, but through the death of Jesus on the cross we are justified ‒ made “Just as if I’d never sinned,” That’s an example of Grace. We are saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:4-6). It is the gift of God. We can’t earn it. Grace is the undeserved favour of God. God fully accepts us through the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. We are clothed in His righteousness.

We all need wisdom and understanding. God understands us more than anyone – even ourselves! We all have a need to understand and to be understood. Jesus understands us when we feel overwhelmed, when problems come, even though we may fail to fully understand the reason. Understanding in our lives is the key that unlocks many doors. It broadens our insight, widens our horizons, especially in our relating to others. Understanding sees underneath the surface. It helps us to pray for the cause, not just the symptoms.

Apart from God, we can’t resist temptation. Jesus told the disciples to watch and pray, and that includes us, so we don’t enter into temptation. (Matthew 26:41) We need to pray, and pray often. We also need to pray with others when we can. The enemy makes something look true when it’s a lie, and he makes it look pleasant to the desires of our old nature. It seems good, but it is destructive. We need to recognise temptation for what it is – something that can lead to sin.

God’s promises are packed with His provision – according to His riches in glory. And you can’t get any more packed than that! God is an abundant God, a God of plenty. Whatever we place into God’s hands, however small, God will enlarge and use in a mighty way. We must never think that what we have is too small. Nothing is too small for God. It may seem small to us, but when God blesses it, it multiplies. A tiny acorn becomes a large oak tree. Perhaps we feel that our gifts, our time, our talents, and our efforts are too small to make a difference. But when we trust God with them and place them into His hands, He blesses them and increases them. God uses them in ways we never imagined.

Jesus brings peace in the storm. Trusting God is more than just hoping for the best! It’s knowing in our hearts, deep down inside that He is in control ‒ no matter what is happening around us. We need to hold fast in the storm and remember that He is the master of the wind and the waves. Jesus turns darkness into light. When we are having a night-time experience, we need to know that things will change. The calm will come. When we feel backed into a corner we need to have radical, relentless faith. We need faith that will stand on the promises of God, and know that what He says will come to pass.

The perfect example of love is in God our Creator. Agape love is the highest form of love ‒ selfless and sacrificial. It is steadfast and unchanging and unconditional. God gave His only Son to die for the sins of the world. For God so loved – that He gave. He gave the best He had for you and me to have eternal life. Jesus died that we might be forgiven of all sin ‒ past, present, and future. God’s love is so wonderful! Through Jesus we have been made righteous, the righteousness of God Himself. We are clothed in His righteousness. Our good deeds and self effort will never get us to Heaven. The only way to Heaven is through Jesus.

We don’t need to understand everything, if we know that God is guiding and directing our steps. Learning to accept living with mystery is an essential part of growing into maturity in our walk with God. When it comes to understanding things, we have our territory and God has His. Our territory only expands when He chooses to reveal things to us. That is why we have to trust Him with all our hearts (Proverbs 3:5-6). We need to believe the truth of God’s Word. His Word is truth and knowing the truth sets us free (John 8:32)! If we are not convinced that God’s Word is true, then fear and unbelief come in. That is when Satan has a foothold in our lives. We need to walk by faith and not by sight. We need to trust God’s SOVEREIGNTY and the truth of His Word.

Where is the room or place for pride? In the great hymn, “When I survey the wondrous cross,” we read these words: “Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the cross of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.” If we ever feel the need to boast or brag about what we have done, or take any glory for ourselves, then we need to run to the cross in repentance, and cry out to God who will always be ready to cleanse us and forgive us. His mercy endures forever!

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.. Jesus intercedes to the Father on their behalf. Even though He was suffering on the cross, being rejected and mocked, treated like a criminal, Jesus still was pleading with His Father not to lay it to their charge. The Holy Spirit helps us know what God is saying to us and what is in His heart. We cannot trust our own wisdom, but the Holy Spirit helps us in all our weaknesses. He empowers us to pray in line with the will and purpose of God. We need to follow His leading in intercession. The Holy Spirit will put people and situations on our hearts, just at the right time when prayer is needed. We need to pray in faith, believing (Mark 11:24).

Romans 14:1: “Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.” Paul wrote about accepting, welcoming, and making allowances for those who are not exactly like us. We need to accept and love them even if they are weak in faith, and not argue about what they think is right or wrong. Paul wasn’t talking about putting up with each other, but loving and accepting each other as God loves and accepts us. We still deal with issues in the Church in these days. It is sometimes easy to become judgmental. The Word of God is clear on this (Romans 14:10).