To see the despair without the grace is suicidal. To see the grace without the despair is upper room futility. But to see them both is conversion.

Have you ever been given a gift that compares to God's grace? Finding this treasure of mercy makes the poorest beggar a prince. Missing this gift makes the wealthiest man a pauper.

You and I can learn the same. Christ-based contentment turns us into strong people. Since no one can take our Christ, no one can take our joy. Can death take our joy? No, Jesus is greater than death. Can failure take our joy? No, Jesus is greater than our sin. Can betrayal take our joy? No, Jesus will never leave us. Can sickness take our joy? No, God has promised, whether on this side of the grave or the other, to heal us.

Before you count coins or count heads, count the number of times Jesus has helped you face the impossible. Before you lash out in fear, look up in faith. Take a moment. Turn to your Father for help.

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" (John 1:16 ESV).

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience but shouts to us in our pain." C. S. LEWIS

Walk closely with those I love so they can know your grace. Lift their burdens and point their faces toward you. I give you thanks for the grace I do not deserve and your mercies, which are new every morning. In Christ's name, amen. Pocket Prayers

Never let me forget that although without you I can do nothing, in Christ I can do all things.

The apostle Paul clung to this grace. To the same degree that he believed in God's sovereignty, he relied on God's mercy.

God's great grace wipes out everything else on the landscape. It is not puny but plentiful. Not teeny but torrential. Not mini but majestic. It meets us right now and equips us with courage, wisdom, and strength. So hang on—the next wave is coming!

Be still and allow God to be hallowed in your life. For the Tough Times

You grow weary of unrest. You're ready to be done with sleepless nights. You long to be "anxious for nothing." You long for the fruit of the Spirit. But how do you bear this fruit? Try harder? No, hang tighter. Our assignment is not fruitfulness but faithfulness. The secret to fruit bearing and anxiety-free living is less about doing and more about abiding.