192 - God Gives You Grace as Your Crown#
192 - God Gives You Grace as the Crown of Your Years
(JP Text Group - Ren Wei Compilation)
The greatest blessing in this life is knowing the Lord Jesus. When life has no direction and we don't know what to do, Jesus is always our answer. As the New Year approaches, Jesus has prepared abundant blessings for us. We are His beloved children, and at the beginning of the New Year, I believe His blessings are already prepared for us to receive with our hearts. No matter how the past was, it has become the past. Do not let the past affect the present; believe that new grace is on the way. By our faith, we can receive grace, believing in everything Jesus accomplished for us on the cross, so that the Father’s blessings can be freely given to us through Jesus.
God gives us grace as our crown; He does not crown us with the law but with grace. God is willing to place His grace upon our heads, so that this year will be different for us. Believe in Him and accept Him! Receive His words, receive His abundant supply, and all glory be to the Father in heaven! In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Psalm 65:4-13
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near to dwell in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple. 5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. 6 The one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might. 7 Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples. 8 Those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs; you make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. 9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. 10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. 11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. 12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, and the hills gird themselves with joy. 13 The meadows clothe themselves with flocks, and the valleys deck themselves with grain; they shout and sing together for joy.
The theme for this year is: God Gives You Grace as Your Crown.
Do you all know what a crown is? A crown is a type of hat. The hats of ordinary people are different from those of kings, but God says, "I will give you a hat, not an ordinary hat, but a crown of grace." Hallelujah!
“Blessed is the one you choose and bring near to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple.”
We dwell in the courtyard of God's grace, not in the courtyard of the law. In the Old Testament, there was the tabernacle, and after entering the tabernacle, there was the holy place and the most holy place. When entering the holy place, God's supply has already begun. In the holy place, there is the golden lampstand to guide the way, and the table of showbread to supply all our needs. When we enter into God's holy place, we will be satisfied with His goodness.
Verse 5: “O God of our salvation, you will answer us with awesome deeds and righteousness. You are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.”
What Jesus means is that He wants to save His people from sin. God is our Savior. When do we need salvation? We need salvation when we are weak, when we have problems, and when we are insufficient. No matter what state we are in now, remember: it is God who saves us, and our God will answer us with awesome deeds and righteousness.
God gives us His blessings because He has completed His righteousness. God absolutely cannot treat the innocent as guilty, nor can He treat the guilty as innocent. God can bestow such blessings upon us because Jesus accomplished God's majesty and righteousness on the cross. It is precisely because Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross that God is willing to give us all His blessings freely as our crown.
How great is God's power? He girds Himself with might and establishes the mountains with strength. The strength of the mountains is stable, but God's strength is even more stable. Those who dwell at the ends of the earth fear because of God's signs. Many people expect to encounter more signs; when we believe in Jesus, signs will continually follow us. Those who do not believe will fear because of such signs.
God tells us that He “visits the earth and waters it.” In spring, the earth needs rain the most. After the New Year begins, we enter spring, just like our lives need God's grace to fall upon us.
Verse 11: “You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.”
I want to tell everyone, this is our pattern for this year. God wants to crown you with grace. No matter when, when we go out, we must remember that we wear a hat on our heads: the hat of grace from Jesus Christ! Those who see will see grace, and we are already enveloped in grace. Wherever you go, this grace is upon your head.
No matter how the past was, this year we should think this way: this is now your appearance, “You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.” Animal fat is the best oil from animals. When we walk by, we will emit the fragrance of grace, just like Jesus Christ. In other words, this place may have had no vitality in the past, but because you are here, it will be blessed because of you. Believe that all of this has already been added to us by God.
Many people worry about the future, feeling very heavy-hearted. Many people look back at the past year and find it terrible. What will this year be like? Will it improve? What if my company lays me off? My parents are getting old; how can I balance family and work? The answer to solving problems is that you must believe: God gives you grace as your crown.
Starting this year, believe solely in His supply, believing that His grace is your crown. God's grace not only saves us from death but also brings us out of darkness. God's grace also brings power. God's grace will surely produce strength in us; God's grace will also produce wisdom, allowing us to do things this year that we could not do by our own strength; things that your wisdom could not conceive. In the new year, God will place good ideas and inspirations within us, allowing us to easily solve things we thought were impossible. Rely on God's grace; God's grace is our crown. Hallelujah!
Some people's marriages have problems, some have difficulties in raising children, and some face physical illnesses and don't know what to do... One thing we must believe: now God gives His grace as our crown. God's grace will surely help us; God's grace is greater than all problems. No matter how the current environment is, just believe in God's supply.
When looking to the future, you may find it full of difficulties. From a human perspective, problems seem unsolvable. Many people had failures last year, so when welcoming the New Year, they may say, "Will this year be better?" They lack confidence; they do not know that God is their supplier. They do not know where the source of their strength is. But we are different; we know that God gives us grace as our crown.
Perhaps in the past, some have abandoned us, some have criticized and attacked us, easily making us feel disheartened and unable to rise again. But remember, the crown of grace is on our heads. Please change to a brand-new perspective. Everything you have encountered is seen by God; He is not surprised. God has reserved abundant grace for you. God has arranged everything you need. He does not want you to suffer through each day as if it were a struggle. It will not be like what the world says, "Will this year be better?" You do not live with such doubts; you welcome the New Year with the crown of God's grace. You are in God's grace and supply every day.
Do not look at how your past was; the New Year has already arrived. Hallelujah! God does not want you to live with your head down. God has arranged everything you need. Perhaps you lived with a frown and self-pity in the past, but now please remember, God's grace is your crown. You will soar like an eagle. You are not just barely getting through; you will soar high like an eagle, and this year will be better than last year.
Psalm 23:4-5
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
David encountered many problems in his life. He reigned for 40 years, and more than half of that time was spent fleeing and fighting. He did not enjoy many peaceful days. Although David faced fluctuating circumstances, he learned to look to God in everything. He was not affected by these circumstances. David is the one who said in Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”
David's life was much more tumultuous than ours. The storms we face may be small, but David faced life-threatening situations many times. Once, King Saul was about to catch him, and David was just one hill away from him. At that moment, David did not say, "I'm done for..." Even when danger was imminent and he saw the army approaching with no place to escape, he still believed that God gives grace as his crown.
In that urgent moment, something suddenly happened: a soldier reported to King Saul that the Philistines were attacking, and King Saul had to hurry back. Imagine what King Saul's mindset must have been at that time: "I was just about to catch David; why are the Philistines attacking now? If I abandon that side to catch David, my kingdom might be lost." In the end, King Saul had to return to defeat the enemy first. Many times, we may feel like David, thinking we are in a desperate situation, believing there is no solution, but God is still our way out.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, this is David's mindset. We also need to understand that you, like David, walk through the valley of the shadow of death, not dwell in it. Many people encounter difficulties and begin to feel downcast, saying, "Lord! Why is my life like this?" It is a mistake to think you dwell in the valley; in fact, you are just passing through.
If you pass by a door and see a family burying a dead person, and that family is crying out loud, you cannot say, "I am dead!" You are just passing by their door. No matter how terrible the past year was, that is just one door. Our lives can have seventy or eighty doors; that is just one of our doors. We do not dwell there; we just pass through.
Even if you have reached a low point, congratulate yourself; since it is a low point, it proves that you are about to rise. Hallelujah! Unless you think you are going downhill, you have not hit the bottom yet; that is a terrible thought. If you say you have reached the bottom of your life, then congratulations, you will be going up this year.
Like David, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Why did David not fear? Because he knew God was with him. God is also with us; Jesus is with us; the Holy Spirit is with us. Even if you have reached the bottom and face some problems or unhappy things, do not worry; you are just passing through there. You are heading to a land full of blessings.
David said, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” No matter how the past was or what your situation is, what you experience is only temporary. You are a child of light, not a child of the valley. Do not fear the problems, sickness, and suffering you encounter now; these are only temporary. Do not deliberately seek reasons. If David had sought reasons like us, he might have lost faith in God long ago.
David's life was very difficult. He might have asked, "God, why do you let me encounter this problem? When I was very young, you anointed me; I was meant to be king. But what kind of problems have I encountered?" If David always asked why, he might have lost faith in God long ago. Every time David encountered a problem, he would say, "God is my helper; God is my refuge; God is my high tower..." You must believe this way. Do not let the past affect your present; believe in God's grace. Jesus is with you; He will surely comfort you.
Verse 5 says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;”
Brothers and sisters, this proves that David did not have no enemies. We will also encounter attacks from enemies, but God prepares a feast for you in the presence of your enemies. Many people will say, "Lord! The enemy is before me; quickly strike him down! Let him disappear!" This is not God's way. Do you know what God's best way is? In front of your enemies, He prepares a rich feast for you. Amen! In other words, if someone attacks you, God prepares a rich feast for you, allowing everything He says to come to pass. God's abundant blessings are upon you, making the enemies envious. If someone says, "Why does God treat you so well? You don't deserve it." God says, "Okay, I will let you see how much he deserves it. I will double the blessings upon him," turning the enemies' eyes from red to green.
Brothers and sisters, if someone mocks you, belittles you, or takes away your things, God will prepare a rich feast for you. He will use grace as your crown. Please remember, this is God's arrangement for you, to always wear the crown of grace upon your head. In front of your enemies, God prepares a rich feast for you. Amen!
“You anoint my head with oil,” “oil” is anointing oil, which can be said to be the Holy Spirit. God uses grace as your crown and then anoints you with the Holy Spirit, with the purpose of making your cup overflow. Although the phrase "my cup overflows" consists of four words, it represents the life of a Christian. We will encounter some tribulations, some problems, and some unhappy things, but still, our cup overflows. Amen! In other words, even if someone causes you loss, you are still overflowing with blessings; even if unhappy things come upon you today, you are still overflowing with blessings because God's blessings are already prepared. Realize that you are a person whose cup overflows. If someone plays tricks and cheats you out of some money, that is just their lack; you just give it to them, and that is it, because you know you are already overflowing with blessings.
I only understood this truth in recent years. In the past, I was also a person who was very calculating. When it came to playing tricks, I might have been worse than many others. Why can I think this way today? Because I know that God has prepared a life of abundant blessings for me. Hallelujah! God wants you to become a person whose cup overflows, so that wherever you go, you will not be affected by these things; instead, you can bless others even more.
In the new year, I hope that we brothers and sisters will believe that God uses His grace to be your crown. Understanding this, I believe when we look back on life, you will always be filled with joy because when you look back, you will not think of how many people have wronged you, but rather you will think how pitiful those people are, and you will want to continuously supply them.
So God treats you this way.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
Paul knew God's grace and the blessings of the Lord Jesus more than we do. Recently, while reading Paul's letters, I found that his understanding of Jesus is truly profound. To what extent does he understand? He believes that everything is accomplished by God's grace.
If it were not for the grace of Jesus Christ, our ending would be very, very terrible. In the eyes of the world, Paul's past life was already successful, but after he came to know Jesus Christ, he realized that the past was nothing. Knowing Jesus Christ is the best. Therefore, Paul said, "But by the grace of God, I am what I am." What kind of person did Paul become?
The abundant grace of God was upon Paul. Amen! From our perspective, we might say, "Paul, you are really foolish. You gave up the privileges of Roman citizenship, you were a Pharisee among Pharisees, and you abandoned all of that to preach Jesus. What did you gain? You spent most of your time in prison, and others do not understand you. You are always being beaten. What do you have to boast about?" What did Paul see?
In fact, what Paul possessed in his heart was the ultimate goal that everyone in the world is pursuing. In other words, many people who do not believe in Jesus pursue what? They are merely pursuing wealth and status. At first, when they have no money, they will frantically earn money; once they have money, and when the money reaches a certain amount, money becomes just a tool. For wealthy people, money is merely a tool; having more money in the bank is just a symbol. For them, it means nothing.
Once they have money, people begin to pursue reputation, paying attention to their image and how others evaluate them, hoping to leave a good impression for future generations. When they pay attention to these things, what do they usually do? They do what the Bible calls "good deeds," helping some poor people and doing some charity, hoping that people will remember them. However, Paul was already doing such things from the beginning. After he came to know Jesus Christ, he was already doing these things. He did not need to have money first and then rely on his own efforts to do it little by little. Paul knew Jesus and was doing these things, and his ability and the scope of his ministry were far greater than those people.
Brothers and sisters, you are such a group of people. You are not limited by money or reputation. God has already given us the best identity: "children of God." When you pray for someone in the name of Jesus, that person's illness will be healed. It is not something that can be obtained by spending money.
A few days ago, a sister told me, "Teacher Ren, I have a testimony to share with you. I have severe peripheral neuritis, which is a serious nerve disease. The pain is excruciating, and over time, a person can become paralyzed. So far, there has been no way to treat it. The doctor could only send her home. I listened to your first sermon from 2016 at home, and as I listened, my illness was healed." Hallelujah!
For us, this is not something that can be exchanged for money and reputation. You are already doing the most noble and meaningful thing in the world, which is related to life, because God's grace is your crown. Hallelujah! Every time I hear such testimonies, I say to the Lord in my heart, "Lord! You have been doing things through this ministry; you have saved so many people and changed so many lives."
I know how meaningful this ministry is because I also believe that God gives grace as my crown. What the world has been pursuing, God has already given to you. Use God's authority and power to do it! Do not worry; even if others do not understand, so what? Everything we do is not for how people will respond; it is for God's glory. When you do things for God's glory, God will add the glory that people do not give you.
Just like Moses in the Bible. At first, the Israelites looked down on Moses, but the Bible says, "God made Moses great among the Israelites." Later, Joshua was the same; God made Joshua great in the eyes of the people! God lifts you up; no one can pull you down. God will bless you; no one can take away your blessings. God says, "You are a person whose cup overflows." You are indeed a person whose cup overflows; you just need to believe.
So Paul said, "But by the grace of God, I am what I am," and "I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me."
It turns out that the more a person understands God's grace, the more he cannot help but do good deeds. It is not that someone says, "You should preach the gospel; the end times are near; what are you doing? Are you sleeping?" It is not like that. The more he understands God's grace, the more he cannot help but eagerly preach the gospel and help others.
Paul was such a person. How eager was Paul in his heart? Paul said, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel." Today, many people under the law say, "You should preach the gospel; if you do not preach the gospel, you will be cursed, and God will strike you down." It is not like that, brothers and sisters. It is because Paul knew that the key to saving lives is in his hands. The key to saving people from sickness, curses, and pressure is in his hands, and that key is the grace of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Paul always speaks of God's grace.
Do you know that God's grace is your crown? God uses freely given blessings to be your crown! You may say, "I am very worried about being laid off by the company; it is very likely to be me. I do not know what to do. I do not want this to happen. Can I declare this by faith? Can I declare for my future?" Yes!
Please remember: you are a child of the Most High God. You are in Jesus Christ. Even if you are really laid off, do not be disheartened. Leave here, and God will prepare something better for you. Many testimonies have already come back; you will not be gloomy or resentful because of something. You must believe that God gives you grace as your crown. If you lose this job, God will prepare a better job opportunity for you than before. Because the God who created the universe uses grace as your crown, you do not need to worry about what the future holds. He is your helper, and God will surely provide you with sufficient grace to face all problems. Amen!
Someone may say, "What if the situation gets worse? What if I cannot find a job?" In fact, with God, there is no "what if"! You must believe that God's grace will be poured out even more upon you. You say, "What if the God I pray to does not fulfill it?" You must believe that God will prepare something better for you. God's peace will abundantly fill you. Sometimes it may seem that some things are not going smoothly, and all you see are bad results.
The Bible says, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." This phrase has another interpretation: the principle of grace always transcends adversity; God's grace always transcends adversity! This includes your sins, your problems, and your illnesses; grace surpasses them! When you encounter difficulties, be mentally prepared because God's grace is about to be manifested even more.
If someone at work speaks ill of you and makes you uncomfortable through some power, do not worry; be mentally prepared. Do not say, "Lord! Give me the ability to withstand the blows!" It is not like that. It is not about saying, "Lord! They are speaking ill of me; what should I do? Lord, give me strength so that I can let it go in one ear and out the other." You will find that it does not work! It still goes into your heart!
What should you expect? You should expect that God is about to promote you! So when these people start attacking you and trying to pull you back, God will release His grace in amazing ways. Where problems are evident, grace will be even more evident. Your problems will reveal God's answers even more. God's grace will surely transcend your environment. So looking back at our past, God has saved us many times, helping us with transcendent power. Therefore, we should now believe that God gives us grace as our crown.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
I believe everyone has read this passage. I am not here to talk about Paul's thorn. Paul's thorn is the messenger of Satan constantly attacking Paul. Think about it: why does the messenger of Satan always attack Paul? The reason is simple: because Paul is filled with God's grace. But the devil always fails because every time the devil attacks Paul, God adds more grace to Paul. So the devil is not satisfied and attacks Paul again. After each attack, God's grace is greatly increased. Brothers and sisters, in this way, who is the victor? Paul is the ultimate beneficiary; Paul is the victor. Amen!
But we say, "Lord, I also encounter attacks; why do I not experience such great grace?" You must first believe that God's grace is descending upon you. Do not complain when you encounter problems, saying, "What should I do? What should I do?" The difference between the Israelites and Paul is here. The Israelites also encountered many difficulties, but every time they faced difficulties, they always complained, "God, why did you bring me out? Why? Why?..." Therefore, their lives were filled with troubles. In fact, God's grace was not lacking at all; it was the same for Paul and for those people, but the Israelites could not see it.
Starting this year, no matter what environment you encounter, declare: “I do not look at the current environment; even if this problem is big, I believe God's greater grace is about to come upon me.” Believe this way, declare this way, Amen! When you believe this and declare it, you will experience a complete turnaround this year; everything will be different. Hallelujah!
So God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” What does this mean? When this grace runs out, the next one is prepared for you; when this runs out, the next one is prepared for you. You do not need to worry about this, “For my power is made perfect in weakness.”
God means that His grace will continually and at all times help Paul overcome various obstacles and problems, allowing Paul to seize the opportunities before him. So how do we learn to receive grace? How do we do it? It is very simple: every morning, declare: “Heavenly Father, I thank you! Your grace is greater than my today. No matter what environment I encounter, your grace is greater than all problems; you are the answer to all my questions.”
Now everyone, please declare with me: “Heavenly Father, I thank you! Your grace is greater than my today. No matter what environment I encounter, I know your grace is greater than everything; you are the answer to all my problems. If someone offends me, I have your grace to forgive them. Your grace is my crown. Amen!”
You must believe that God has placed the power to refuse sorrow and the power to refuse worry within you. You must rely on this power, receive His ability, and believe that through God's grace, you are more than a conqueror because God has already won. Believe and declare this every day, and by the end of the day, you will be filled with strength.
In the past, I have conducted such an experiment. If you wake up in the morning and start complaining:
“Oh, I am so angry! Why do I have to go to work today?”
“That damn boss, I see him again.”
“These unreliable colleagues always gossip about me; why do I have to see them?”
If you declare this while going to work, what will happen? First, when you see a group of colleagues, you will think, "Look at you, you are not good people." When you see your boss coming, you will say, "Oh, is he going to find fault with me again today?" You will find that nothing goes smoothly. But if you change your approach and start the morning by declaring:
“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's grace is my crown”
“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, everything I do today is under God's blessing; wherever I go, it will overflow with abundance.”
When you arrive at your office, you will see everyone as lovely, and your boss will not seem so annoying anymore. The reason is that your heart has changed. When you receive God's strength to live, your world will change. Amen! You must learn to live in today. You must believe that God's grace is sufficient for you today. No matter where you have problems, perhaps your marriage has problems; perhaps your child has problems; perhaps you have lost your job; or perhaps you have repeatedly failed in the past, "Lord, I cannot hold on for another year or another month." I believe many people feel this way, especially those who repeatedly fail. They will believe, "Can I hold on for a year? How will I get through this year?"
Do not think this way. If you think about a year, you will feel overwhelmed and unable to walk. God does not ask you to hold on for a year or a month or a week. God wants to lead you with His grace today. Can you believe that God's grace will fill you in these twenty-four hours today? This is how you should live, not saying, "Oh, what should I do this year? Last year was like that; what should I do this year?" You can have plans, but do not have worries. Amen!
You must believe that God's grace is upon you, and God will also supply you with new grace tomorrow. This biblical principle is evident everywhere. When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God told them, "I will bring you to a land flowing with milk and honey," which is the promised land. In the wilderness, there is nothing, and God says He will provide manna for them. Why does God not send down a month's worth of manna? Or a year's worth of manna? Can He send it down? Why not? The human perspective is: I can only feel at ease when I have my things in my hands. I do not believe in what I cannot see.
Food stored in a granary makes me feel at ease. If you give me a bag of food and say, "Rest assured, God's grace will be given every day," I do not believe it. This is the perspective of the world, but you should not believe this way. How did God supply the Israelites in the wilderness? Every day, they needed to gather as much as they needed. Did He not supply it? They could gather as much as they needed, but they should not be greedy. God first wanted to remove their greed.
If you can eat one bucket, can you bring back ten buckets at once? Yes. God did not say, "Oh! You greedy person, let those nine buckets disappear!" You can still gather ten buckets, but because your appetite is limited and your stomach is limited, you can only eat one bucket. The next day, when you wake up, the other nine buckets will have worms in them, and you will have to throw them away. You might say, "Why is God so cruel? I do not want to go out tomorrow; why must I go out every day?"
This is God's grace. God wants the grace that falls every day to be the freshest. In other words, God does not want you to have burdens. If God gave you a year's worth of manna, you would have a hard time walking. But God said, "My grace is sufficient for you; I use grace as your crown," meaning: Do not worry about the current environment; even if it looks terrible, I can supply you every day. Amen! God supplies manna for them to eat every morning, and it falls from heaven before the sun rises. Please listen carefully: this is food that falls from heaven, not food that comes from the ground.
Remember a principle: food that comes from the ground must be obtained through your efforts, while food that falls from heaven can be obtained without effort. In other words, what comes from heaven cannot involve your efforts, while what comes from the ground must involve your efforts. Which would you prefer? But one thing is certain: what is heavenly can produce earthly results. With one word from Jesus, Bartimaeus' eyes were opened; with one word from Jesus, Peter's net was filled with fish. Did He not use heavenly power to change earthly supply? The earthly cannot change the heavenly, but the heavenly can change the earthly. Amen!
If you eat earthly food, no matter how you eat, you will die; but when you eat heavenly food, God says, "I will let you never die." Hallelujah! You have received that life from heaven, which is the food that supplies them. God also tells you: do not worry about tomorrow; God will pour out tomorrow's grace. In the morning, you can pray, saying, "Lord! I believe today's grace is already prepared. I do not worry about tomorrow; I only expect your grace today. You give me the power to forgive, the power of joy, the power of peace, and the power to supply others, to live well today." Amen! Live well today!
As for tomorrow, when you wake up tomorrow, continue this prayer. Even if it is a repetitive prayer, it does not matter, but do not treat it as a routine, saying, "Lord, I have stuck yesterday's prayer on the wall; you can look at it yourself." Do not do that. When you wake up tomorrow, declare, "Lord, I believe you have prepared new grace today." You will find that every day is different; the people you encounter and the things you experience are all different. God's grace is always a new supply.
As the new year begins, I hope you believe that God's grace supplies us in this way. Amen! When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God told them: "On that day, you will gather the amount you need." Gathering more would only lead to waste, and it would spoil.
Similarly, God will not give us a year's worth of grace or a month's worth of grace at once and then leave us alone. This is not how God works. God's way is: what you need today, God gives you. Not only does He give you, but God will also be with you, protect you, and help you. When you encounter problems, God helps you solve them. If God gave you a year's worth of grace and then rested, wouldn't that make it easier for God? But we still cannot live well and still do not have joy. The best way is for God to give you grace today, for God to be with you today, leading you through all problems. Amen! Even if you have problems and see problems, you say, "Lord, I know you are with me." Hallelujah!
The Bible tells us, "In everything give thanks," which is God's will for us in Christ Jesus. The original meaning of "in everything give thanks" is that you can thank God in everything. Unfortunately, many people misinterpret this verse. Some say, "Thank God for my illness; thank God for my troubles; thank God for my poverty; thank God for giving me illness; thank God for giving me poverty; thank God for giving me troubles." This completely misunderstands God's meaning and distorts God's intention. This is not what God gives.
You encounter these troubles, but you can thank God in the troubles, but not for the troubles. It means, "Lord, I thank you; although there are troubles, I believe your grace is my crown and will surely save me from these troubles." Amen!
If you have losses, you do not say, "Lord, I thank you for letting me lose so much money." Do not declare this. You say, "Lord, even though I have lost some money, I believe your grace is greater than my current loss. I believe you will compensate me double." Hallelujah! God's supply has many ways; you just need to believe: "Lord, even though I am currently at a loss, I believe you will compensate me." This is the true meaning of giving thanks in everything; this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus.
You do not fear any environment or problem because you know God will help you. Just like the Israelites going out to gather manna around the camp in the morning, did anyone doubt that God would not send down manna today? God's supply will fall every day, of course, except on the Sabbath. We are talking about how they would go out on a normal day, and God's grace would already be supplied. Amen!
You must also believe that when you wake up every day, God's grace has already fallen. Here is a spiritual principle. The Bible specifically tells us that when the dew appears, the manna falls along with the dew, which happens to be when the Israelites are resting at night. In other words, when you are resting, God's grace has already fallen around you. When you wake up, you go to receive God's fresh grace. This is how God wants us to live in the world. You are not like the world, waking up in the morning and worrying, "What should I do? What should I do?" It is not like that. You believe that God's grace has already been supplied. No matter if it is windy or rainy, or how the dates change, God's grace has never ceased. For a full 40 years, God's grace has continuously supplied the Israelites.
In fact, from the moment you accept Jesus, the grace of Jesus Christ has also been supplied to you in this way. He wants to supply you with new grace, new favor, new wisdom, new forgiveness, and a new way of living every day. You can gather as much as you need. It varies according to each person's needs; gather as much as you need. In other words, what you need and what he needs are not the same. If you need more, you gather more; if you need less, you gather less, according to your own measure. But God's supply is always sufficient.
In the Bible, there is a woman named Mary, the mother of Jesus in the flesh. This woman is already blessed. Once, a woman shouted loudly, "Jesus! Blessed is the womb that bore you!" She envied Mary, but Jesus said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" Why is Mary so blessed? Mary is blessed because she solely believes in God's grace. Mary's faith may have surpassed that of others, and she received blessings that others did not.
Let me tell you a story. When the angel appeared to Mary, she was still a virgin and not yet married. At that time, God said to Mary, "O favored one, you are blessed! God will give you a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." What did Mary say? "How will this happen? I am not yet married!" The angel told her, "The power of the Most High will overshadow you; the Holy One will be born of you. Do not worry about this; just be willing and believe."
For us, it is the same. Do not worry about how God will change your situation; that is God's business. What you need to believe is: God will surely change this situation for me, and I am willing. That is enough. Although Mary did not fully understand this, it was contrary to reason and natural law; how could a woman become pregnant by herself? But God's power is like this. At that time, Mary said a very faithful statement: "I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." The angel left her.
Brothers and sisters, think about it: was it Mary who sought to conceive Jesus? No. Please remember what I just said: the blessings from heaven "bang" fall upon you. Are you willing? If you are willing, then this blessing is upon you. This is not something Mary asked for, but for Mary, it was a great blessing. The name Mary is called by many people today; in foreign countries, it is called "Mary," in Chinese it is "玛丽." Why do people like to call this name? Because she is a woman of great favor. Because she is a woman of great favor, she possesses faith that we do not have. The faith she possesses, her belief in God, requires God's grace to help her face all of this.
Mary's fiancé was Joseph, the man she loved the most, and Joseph also loved Mary very much. But Joseph knew about Mary's pregnancy before marriage. At that time, it was very scary; a woman getting pregnant before marriage was punishable by death according to the law. Joseph was a righteous man; he did not want to kill this woman's life, so he thought about secretly divorcing Mary.
Mary faced a tremendous challenge in her life. When problems arise, it is actually a greater grace that is about to come upon you. Before this grace arrives, various temptations and storms come upon Mary. She was not yet married, and her belly was growing day by day. How would others evaluate this woman? "She must not be a decent woman; she is pregnant before marriage..."
For an unmarried girl, how much humiliation must she bear! She could tell others, "No, I am pregnant by the Holy Spirit," but the more she says, the more complicated it becomes, and they will not understand what she is saying. Therefore, many spiritual matters cannot be explained to worldly people; you just need to believe. Amen! When Mary was pregnant, she faced tremendous problems, which indicates that tremendous grace was about to come upon her.
Could Mary have imagined that her child would be born in a manger? No. But I want to say that greater grace was about to come upon her. From that moment on, the angel came to congratulate her, and later, several wise men from afar came to worship her child. These things were unheard of by Mary; she witnessed God's grace with her own eyes.
Later, when Jesus was very young, they were always fleeing to Egypt. At that time, Mary might have thought, "Lord! Why? I am willing to give birth to Jesus, but why after giving birth do I have to run around and hide? You are the Savior; why can't you save me and let me settle down?"
I tell you this: God's immense grace is about to come upon Mary. Hallelujah! No matter what problems you encounter, immense grace is about to come upon you. It is precisely because the devil does not want you to receive this grace that he will try every means to block you from receiving God's grace.
We do not know what Jesus' family experienced, but when Jesus was very young, His earthly father Joseph had already passed away. Jesus began to support His mother and His siblings, working hard as a carpenter. Why did Jesus endure everything? Because God had immense grace to come upon Him. Everything Jesus experienced tells you that no matter what you go through, what Jesus experienced is worse than what you face. Do not compare your suffering with others. But how did God treat Him? Despite everything, God exalted Him to the highest place.
Today, God will treat you the same way. Even if you encounter problems, God will lift you up. We are not comparing our sufferings; we must believe that the grace behind it will be greater. Perhaps Mary's situation was unexpectedly difficult, and perhaps some things were not in her plan. However, God had already given her abundant grace. God had already set a goal for her. Although there were enemies constantly disturbing her, God's grace always surpasses all circumstances. Although King Herod wanted to kill Him, before this event happened, God had already revealed to Mary to take the child and flee to Egypt, escaping from one assassination attempt after another.
You must believe that God's grace surpasses all your circumstances because you are a beloved child of God. He will surely give you strength to overcome. Perhaps your problems are caused by others, and others put pressure and distress on Mary. You must believe that the greater the obstruction, the greater the grace that follows. The devil wants to obstruct Mary, not wanting her to receive God's abundant grace. But when we overcome in the face of circumstances, we can always elevate our faith and feel that this is nothing; this is not a big problem. God has already won; Jesus has already won.
This is also a truth I only understood in the last two years. A person who truly understands God's grace, even if he understands just a little, can see life clearly. Some things are no longer so entangled, and instead, he enjoys rest. You might say, "Last year, there were too many things! It was too chaotic! Many were not in my plan." But starting this year, I want to challenge you to believe and declare, "God's grace is my crown; all the unfair treatment I receive will be compensated by God. God will reward me!"
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
In the Bible, there is a man named Joseph, and his suffering was not in vain. I particularly like the story of Joseph. Joseph was born into a Christian family. This child should have grown up in great joy and peace. Unfortunately, his ten brothers were children of the law, and the law would not treat him well. When he had dreams, they killed his dreams. His brothers sold him.
At this time, Joseph had every reason to complain to God. He could have complained, "Lord! I am your child; why should your child be sold by his own brothers? If it were an enemy selling me, I would have nothing to say. But it was my own brother who sold me." He was sold to a place where no one knew him, stripped of his clothes, and sold as a slave in the market. Joseph could have been disheartened and complained to God, "My life is like this; there is no chance for me to rise!" But Joseph did not complain; he believed that God's grace was his crown. He never gave up on the dreams in his heart. No matter what environment he encountered, he believed that God would lead him out of every situation. Even if he was a naked slave, he believed he was a different kind of slave. This is not a joke. At that time, he happened to be noticed by Potiphar, who said, "Let me see your teeth! They look healthy. Yes, you are the one; come to my house from now on." If he lived a disheartened life, he would have been no different from other slaves.
If a believer lives a disheartened life, he is no different from the world. We will encounter environments like the world, but what makes us different is that we can see God's supply in the environment. In that environment, Joseph said, "Lord! I know you are my God. I have believed in you since I was young. Although the environment is currently against me, I still believe in you." Joseph worked differently from other slaves. Eventually, one day, Potiphar saw his uniqueness. Why? Because Joseph thought, "God's grace is upon me," so everything he did was better than others. Later, Joseph went from being a slave to being a steward, which was a great joy in life. However, Joseph did not say, "I have finally made it." No, he still believed that God's grace was upon him; this was not the end of his life.
After finally reaching the position of steward, temptation came. Because he insisted on his truth and the God he believed in, he fell again. Joseph was thrown into prison, which was worse than being a slave. At this time, Joseph could have said, "It is over; there is no hope!" You are locked in a foreign prison where no one knows you, and the master himself locked you up, giving you no chance to defend yourself. What should he do in this situation? Joseph could have complained, "This is how life is; it is completely over! I am only in my teens; I do not want to die like this! My life is still long." Joseph could have complained like this, but he did not. He still believed that God's grace was upon him.
In prison, Joseph was different from other prisoners. Perhaps while in prison, Joseph was still singing and humming God's songs! Others might think, "You are already a prisoner; how can you still have joy and the heart to worship your God?" It is precisely because of this that he was noticed by the prison warden, who said, "I see you have some ability; manage these prisoners for me." He began to preach in prison, saying, "Tell me your problems, and I will interpret your dreams and solve your problems." He even became a preacher in prison. Did he forget his identity? No. He just kept his eyes on God's grace, believing that God would surely make a way for him.
Finally, the result came. The time had come (please note that I do not use "the time had come" casually). It just so happened that Pharaoh needed him the most, and God brought Joseph from prison to Pharaoh's presence, just in time to solve Pharaoh's problem.
I can use the word "just so happened," as in the book of Ruth, where everything seems to be calculated. If at the beginning, Joseph had told the person in prison, "You will be restored to your position soon; do not forget me," if that person had not forgotten Joseph and brought him out of prison, Joseph would still be useless.
At the right time and in the right place, God did the right thing, allowing him to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. Wasn't the cupbearer also very grateful to Joseph? "I promised you in the past, and I actually forgot." Later, because of this, Pharaoh valued Joseph. Did Pharaoh not say, "Who can be like you, having the Spirit of God in you?"
What does this tell us? No matter what environment Joseph was in, he understood that the Spirit of God was upon him. The Father's will never changed; the dream he had as a child was being fulfilled. He just did not understand that every step he took was in God's preparation. To people, this was a difficult road that no one wanted to take. But do you know? In just over a decade, he went from being a nobody in a foreign land to becoming the prime minister of the most powerful nation, something that no one has been able to achieve to this day.
Why not give it a try? You say, "I come from a Christian family; I set a 15-year plan to become the President of the United States. Let's see if that works." But God allowed Joseph to achieve this! We look at Joseph and say, "He suffered so much." Yes, Joseph indeed suffered, but God's grace was greater. He learned economic management in Potiphar's house, and he was very good at accounting, which made him suitable for the position of steward. Later, God placed him in prison, and he learned psychology.
The prisoners in prison were not ordinary prisoners; they were all people who served Pharaoh. This group of people was most familiar with Pharaoh. You could call them political figures. In other words, he learned psychology, political management, and economic management, and he encountered top-notch masters. Once he learned, God placed him right next to Pharaoh. Although he had never seen Pharaoh, he was clear about Pharaoh's characteristics and personality, so his work went smoothly.
The environment you encounter is not a bad thing; God wants you to see His beautiful plan in the environment. You must believe that God gives grace as the crown of your years. This year, you will live with God's crown of grace, spreading God's abundance all over the world! Thank and praise the Lord!
You can tell God what you think this year. You sincerely believe that God gives grace as our crown. Do not doubt; past failures do not mean today's failures. God's grace has already been supplied. Boldly pray to Him and declare that this matter will surely come to pass because God's grace has already been supplied to you, and the crown of God's grace is already upon our heads. Hallelujah!