"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:1-8

God has been teaching me so much about His grace. These lessons don’t always come easy, but if we can really look at what He’s doing in those tough moments, we can see how much love is behind them.

I started this painting years ago. A fortress...which was meant to represent the strongholds that the enemy gets a kick out of helping us build in our hearts. And the sun rays meant to represent God's love...hitting those hardened walls, and making them crumble.

I haven’t thought about this painting in years, and in fact it still remains unfinished. But as I went through some of the hardest events of my life these past two weeks...and as God helped me to deal with them through His grace, compassion, and love...He drew me to this painting as a representation of what God's grace can do to our hardened or even numbed out hearts.

It’s an amazing thing, God's grace.

In fact, I would even go as far as to say that it’s depth is unfathomable. And this is why so many of us struggle to actually accept it. It’s a gift that instinctually we know we don’t deserve, and the kind of love that it represents can’t easily be grasped by the human heart.

But that my friends, is what makes it so incredibly powerful! He knew when He was on that cross every mistake we would make. He saw our faces, personal and individual, and He died for us anyway. Our job as we choose to follow Him, is to accept and acknowledge the power of that gift...the power of His grace. To really let it sit on our hearts how much He loves us despite our flaws...and to LET IT CHANGE US!

Once we really do that...once we really accept His grace and His love, those sturdy fortress walls around our hearts can come tumbling down, and we can be free to live the life He wants for us.

Have you accepted His grace? Or are you still fighting it because you don’t think you deserve it? Whether you are new to a relationship with Him or seasoned in your walk, today is the day. Open your heart, let in His love, and let His amazing grace change you.