Great Is The Grace Of Our Awesome God!

While I am preparing my message on Samson for this coming Sunday, the significance of grace keeps floating to the surface. The story of Samson’s lapse of judgment is a tragedy of the first order.  From beginning to end there’s not much to applaud.

From the beginning God gave Samson everything he needed to succeed in his God given purpose.  He was to lead and deliver Israel from the Philistines.  Though he did not fulfill that purpose God’s grace overruled his lifetime of regret.

Most of us will never have the opportunity to perform a heroic act at the end of our life, but all of us will leave a legacy.   Samson will always have an asterisk next to his life.  His story has caused me to pause and think about the end of our earthly journeys.

If you came to the end of your earthly journey and had a chance to write words that would be read by your family, friends, and maybe others, what subject would your choose?

As you consider that question, perhaps it will help you to know what three New Testament men chose to write about in their final days.  Peter, Paul, and John shared a common quality; their dependence upon grace. 

Paul wrote in  2 Timothy 4:22 (NIV) The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
John wrote in Revelation 22:21 (NIV) The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

I find it incredibly significant that all three of these great Christian leaders close out their lives by bringing attention to God’s grace.

Paul said God’s grace saves you. 
Peter said God’s grace keeps you.
John said God’s grace will take you home.

God’s grace upon Samson fills me with hope.  God transcends human weakness to accomplish his purpose of grace.