Day 3 of God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
Day 3
Grace That Runs Ahead of Us
Reading: Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9
Grace does not wait. That is perhaps its most staggering quality. Titus 3:5 makes clear that God saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He did not evaluate our track record and decide we were worth saving. He simply loved. Ephesians 2:8-9 reinforces this, reminding us that salvation cannot be earned and cannot be boasted about because it was never ours to produce in the first place. The "shoulds" we carry, the sense that we must do more to deserve God's help, are burdens He never intended for us. Grace is a gift, freely given.
Reflection: What "shoulds" have you been carrying that may be rooted in performance rather than in God's grace? How have those burdens affected your relationship with Him?
Reading: Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9
Grace does not wait. That is perhaps its most staggering quality. Titus 3:5 makes clear that God saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He did not evaluate our track record and decide we were worth saving. He simply loved. Ephesians 2:8-9 reinforces this, reminding us that salvation cannot be earned and cannot be boasted about because it was never ours to produce in the first place. The "shoulds" we carry, the sense that we must do more to deserve God's help, are burdens He never intended for us. Grace is a gift, freely given.
Reflection: What "shoulds" have you been carrying that may be rooted in performance rather than in God's grace? How have those burdens affected your relationship with Him?
To view the sermon this devotional is based on, please click the link below:
Posted in Devotionals
Recent
Archive
2026
January
Day 4 of Putting God First in UncertaintyDay 5 of Putting God First in UncertaintyDay 1 of Prayer is Our FoundationDay 2 of Prayer is Our FoundationDay 3 of Prayer is Our FoundationDay 4 of Prayer is Our FoundationDay 5 of Prayer is Our FoundationDay 1 of In Every Teaching...TruthDay 2 of In Every Teaching...TruthDay 3 of In Every Teaching...TruthDay 4 of In Every Teaching...TruthDay 5 of In Every Teaching...TruthDay 1 of In Every Conflict...GraceDay 2 of In Every Conflict...GraceDay 3 of In Every Conflict...GraceDay 4 of In Every Conflict...GraceDay 5 of In Every Conflict...GraceDay 1 of In Every Action...LoveDay 2 of In Every Action...LoveDay 3 of In Every Action...LoveDay 4 of In Every Action...LoveDay 5 of In Every Action...Love
February
Day 1 of Same GodDay 2 of Same GodDay 3 of Same GodDay 4 of Same GodDay 5 of Same GodDay 1 of Mighty Name of JesusDay 2 of Mighty Name of JesusDay 3 of Mighty Name of JesusDay 4 of Mighty Name of JesusDay 5 of Mighty Name of JesusDay 1 of God is LoveDay 2 of God is LoveDay 3 of God is LoveDay 4 of God is LoveDay 5 of God is LoveDay 1 of Holy ForeverDay 2 of Holy Forever Day 3 of Holy Forever Day 4 of Holy Forever Day 5 of Holy Forever
March
Day 1 of Temptation, Rejection, and RedemptionDay 2 of Temptation, Rejection, and RedemptionDay 3 of Temptation, Rejection, and RedemptionDay 4 of Temptation, Rejection, and RedemptionDay 5 of Temptation, Rejection, and RedemptionDay 1 of The Holy Spirit Living Within UsDay 2 of The Holy Spirit Living Within UsDay 3 of The Holy Spirit Living Within UsDay 4 of The Holy Spirit Living Within UsDay 5 of The Holy Spirit Living Within UsDay 1 of Finding Love in the Right PlaceDay 2 of Finding Love in the Right PlaceDay 3 of Finding Love in the Right PlaceDay 4 of Finding Love in the Right PlaceDay 5 of Finding Love in the Right PlaceDay 1 of Walking in the Holy Spirit's Power and LoveDay 2 of Walking in the Holy Spirit's Power and LoveDay 3 of Walking in the Holy Spirit's Power and LoveDay 4 of Walking in the Holy Spirit's Power and LoveDay 5 of Walking in the Holy Spirit's Power and LoveDay 1 of When God's Plan Looks Like DisappointmentDay 2 of When God's Plan Looks Like Disappointment
April
Day 3 of When God's Plan Looks Like DisappointmentDay 4 of When God's Plan Looks Like DisappointmentDay 5 of When God's Plan Looks Like DisappointmentDay 1 of From Death to ResurrectionDay 2 of From Death to ResurrectionDay 3 of From Death to ResurrectionDay 4 of From Death to ResurrectionDay 5 of From Death to ResurrectionDay 1 of Breakfast on the BeachDay 2 of Breakfast on the BeachDay 3 of Breakfast on the BeachDay 4 of Breakfast on the BeachDay 5 of Breakfast on the BeachDay 1 of Living in the In-BetweenDay 2 of Living in the In-BetweenDay 3 of Living in the In-BetweenDay 4 of Living in the In-BetweenDay 5 of Living in the In-BetweenDay 1 of Following the Spirit's LeadDay 2 of Following the Spirit's LeadDay 3 of Following the Spirit's LeadDay 4 of Following the Spirit's Lead
May
Day 5 of Following the Spirit's LeadDay 1 of Don't StopDay 2 of Don't StopDay 3 of Don't StopDay 4 of Don't StopDay 5 of Don't StopDay 1 of Beautiful and QualifiedDay 2 of Beautiful and QualifiedDay 3 of Beautiful and QualifiedDay 4 of Beautiful and QualifiedDay 5 of Beautiful and QualifiedDay 1 of Don't Give UpDay 2 of Don't Give UpDay 3 of Don't Give Up