Lectio:
“Man may forever do as he will, he can never enter heaven unless God takes the first step with his Word, which offers him divine grace and enlightens his heart so as to get upon the right way.”
— Martin Luther, On Faith, And Coming To Christ
Meditatio:
The problem with grace is that we cannot make it happen. With as much power as we believe we have in our lives — to think, say, and do as we please — we are powerless over grace. We cannot initiate, sustain, or control it. We cannot act, talk, or work our way into grace. We are at its loving mercy.
Grace is a gift (Eph 2:8). We can neither deserve nor demand it. It is freely offered, and the only power we have is to reject it or consent to it.
But even the power to consent to grace is, itself, born of grace. Without grace calling us to grace, we would remain forever in darkness, captive to our sinful ways. When we feel the quiet pull of grace toward the love, light, and truth of Christ, it is grace that allows us to say yes. It is grace that allows us to let go of our wayward ways and to be drawn into relationship with the God who loves us.
In our darkest hour, in a moment of clarity, at every turning point in our lives — no matter how big or small — grace is there, whispering to us, calling to us, and longing for us to answer back (Rom 8:39). As Luther reminds us, grace is God’s way of taking the first step, of reaching down to take our hand, and of initiating a loving relationship with us (1 Jn 4:19).
When grace comes calling — whether through Scripture, the comforting word of a loved one, or a helping hand when we need it most — may we have the grace to recognize it, and the courage to say yes.
Oratio:
She came to me
when I needed her most —
when I begged for mercy,
when I wished for the end.
She called to me through the darkness,
offering me another way.
Sweet grace —
to her I surrendered,
not knowing where she would lead me,
yet anywhere would have been better
than my self-imposed hell.
Never did I expect this.
Never did I deserve this —
to be loved like this — even there, even then
all along.
Contemplatio:
Where in your life has grace been sustaining you all along, even in the moments you felt most alone or beyond reach?
Related Scripture:
“No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me.” — John 6:44
For Further Reading:
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Sabbath Was Made for You: Consent to God’s Gift of Rest, which explores the same movement of consent at the heart of this piece — the invitation to receive what God freely offers rather than strive to earn it.
~Robert Van Valkenburgh
Grappling With Divinity.
Wrestling With God.
Returning To Love.
Leave a Reply