Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, July 3, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
There’s a lot packed into this little greeting. And not just because it’s a long sentence. The writer is extending both grace and peace to the reader. Grace—that outpouring of God’s generosity of spirit that forgives us all our shortcomings before we can even ask, that reminds us who we are and whose we are and promises salvation now and forever in spite of ourselves. Peace—the rest at depth that comes with the acceptance of God’s grace as unearned gift, the utter surrendered trust that God is God and we don’t have to be God and try to run the universe. And not just grace and peace, but grace and peace in abundance—more and better than we could ever imagine for ourselves. And where does this incredible outpouring of God’s presence stem from? The knowledge of God and of Jesus, who is God with us. This isn’t saying that we have to know and understand God in order to receive these gifts. It is, instead, an invitation—a loving call to dig deeper, to reach further, to learn and grow in relationship with our God through scripture and community and the daily practices of our faith.
This greeting is for you, today.
How do I experience grace and peace in my life today?
