#3 Diving into the ocean of grace

 

An Ocean of Grace

 
The ocean is ever-moving currents of life! It is majestic in its power and beauty. It is the keeper of mysteries of the earth.  It holds within it splendor and design more abundant then we can imagine. It is one of our greatest resources and it yields anything from shell-size to whale-size joy.
 
Grace is our current of life!  It is majestic in its power and beauty.  If we dare to explore the vastness we will find the mysteries, the splendor, design and joy revealed to our hearts. 
 
Ex 33:13
“I pray, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly] and that I may find favor in Your sight.”
 
Col 1:6 (Amplified)
 
“… come to know and understand the grace of God in truth [ come to know and understand the grace or undeserved favor of God in reality, deeply and clearly and thoroughly, becoming accurately and intimately acquainted with it]
 
I love the Amplified version for God has a way of talking to me between the brackets.  It is often in the insert between the brackets where something is explained/expanded upon/clarified.  It is there that I find the wisdom God speaks into my heart, the food for thought. 
 
 
What does GRACE mean to you?  How deeply have you ventured into this ocean of grace?
 
Can we steward grace if we do not understand it in truth, i.e deeply, clearly, thoroughly, accurately, intimately? 
 
If it’s in reality, it has to be real for you
If it’s deep it can’t only be what we see on the surface
If it’s clear it has to be more than a vague understanding
If it’s thoroughly it has to be examined inside-out
If it’s accurately, there can be no guessing, but knowing.
If it’s intimately it becomes heart-knowledge that comes with spending intimate time with the Author of Grace. 
 
(If a word has 6 adverbs or adjectives connected to it, I think it is safe to say that we should take note  of its importance J)
 
Ann Hamilton describes grace beautifully:

Anne Hamilton 
When "grace" is described, the most common way of talking about it in Scripture is with a word
meaning "multi-coloured", "greatly varied", "manifold", "lots of facets". In other words, grace doesn't come in a nice formulaic package; it comes individually tailored to us. All of which is wrapped up in the Greek word, polypoikilos.
So it's appropriate that even the word "grace" in Scripture has more than one sense. That it's truly
manifold in meaning. We tend to forget that and focus just on this specific sense: "God's unmerited
favor". But there's another meaning too. It's the "power of God to overcome whatever circumstances are
pulling you down."
 
What I’ve come to realize in this grace-journey, is that grace is indeed multi-facetted, encompassing and expansive. 
Encompassing = surrounds/encloses; surrounds or holds within; to envelop (to include comprehensively.
Expansive = covering a wide area in terms of scope/space
 
 
Imagine a deep sea diver, immersed, exploring the deep beautiful ocean with all its colors, textures and varieties.
[Immersed meaning: to plunge into something that surrounds; to be deeply involved].
Should we not be immersed in grace in order to explore all the colours, textures, facets and beauty? 
Like the ocean holds within it the powerful, the small, the multi-coloured, the smooth, the textured, the wonders and the movement, so grace holds lots of facets we can explore and marvel at. 

I see it like this –

Just like the ocean, We can experience grace on different levels.

Looking at photographs of the deep and wonderful things = head-knowledge.

You can view the ocean from afar, and marvel at its beauty.  And although it is indeed breathtaking, it is still only what meets the eye.  It may touch your heart and even elicits great emotion. When you leave and it lingers with you for a while, but you’ve only just seen the surface.  

Or you can go into the ocean, try out the waves.  It brings you closer to the experience, you can feel it, smell it, taste it and it brings you joy and exhilaration.  But with all the sand there, it can be a bit murky (vague) and you still can’t see the beauty and wonders within. 

But what if we can go diving? What if we can feel the water mold and move around us; if you can be immersed and surrounded by the water and become intimately acquainted with  the beauty and wonders within? Would that not become experiential, joyful heart-knowledge. 

And if I have experienced it so deeply, would I not want to protect it, treasure it, share it and invite others to go diving with me so they can share the experience?

Being a steward means to utilize and manage all resources God provides for the glory of God and betterment of His creation.

Eph 3:2 “… the stewardship of God’s grace that was entrusted to me for your benefit”

Entrusted = implies trust.  Can I be trusted with grace, the precious gift and resource that it is?

I am a “grace-diver” – being immersed in it, experiencing all the colours, facets and beauty thereof. I want to know it deeply, clearly, intimately, accurately. 

Like Moses I want to find favor in His sight, knowing Him, the Person of Grace, more deeply and intimately. 

I also want to be obedient and trustworthy, so I’ll be sharing some of this grace-ocean’s beauty and wonder with you in the weeks to come.  

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