How would you like to do what you cannot do? That sounds odd. You think, “If I can do it why won’t I just do it? Or if I can’t do it why would I try to do it?” Let me explain.

A 5 year old stands under a basketball hoop, having high ambitions of reaching the hoop with the basketball.

He throws it several times, but never comes close to reaching the net. He keeps trying, but is quickly becoming disappointed and frustrated.

His father looks on knowing that the goal is impossible to achieve at this point in his child’s life. So, having a desire to see the child reach his dream, he lowers the net and puts his son on his shoulders. He gives him the basketball, and the young boy drops it in the net. The boy is so excited! He is thrilled that he has put the ball in the net. He tells his father, “Let’s do it again!” The father is so thrilled that his son is pleased, that he again raises him up, allowing him to put the ball in the net. This young boy has achieved a goal, he could not achieve.

There are many things in our life that we desire to achieve, but it is beyond our ability to achieve them. There are goals that the Spirit of the Lord has made known to us, that we feel we are unable to reach. This is where the empowering grace of God comes into effect. It is only by His grace that we may achieve these goals.

“By grace are we saved, through faith.” We could not save ourselves but by faith we accessed the grace of God. This grace brought the needed salvation, which was already provided by the blood of Jesus. This grace delivered a salvation that we could never produce for ourselves. Grace brought us beyond our own ability, and produced in our life, the salvation that was beyond our ability to produce.

As the father picked up the boy to put him in position, we have to allow the Spirit of God to move us into position. As the boy threw the basketball into the hoop himself, we also have to do what is required of us.

God’s grace brings us into position, to allow us to do what we cannot do on our own.

Salvation is only the introduction to grace. There is so much more that we can achieve by His grace. It is all just beyond our ability and found in His grace. The first step is to start believing God. Not only believing IN God but believing God. Believe that what He said in His Word, the Bible, is truth. Believe in what He has provided for you. Believe in the victory He has provided. Believe in the inheritance He has passed on to you. Believe that all He has accomplished, all that He has provided, and all became, is for you.

Faith in what He has said and done is the first step to accessing His grace for our life. This grace that is released in our life is the empowerment that allows us to do what we cannot do on our own. His grace is more than enough and ever sufficient!!!

Pastor Bob