My heart broke when I saw her post, changing the lyrics of this hymn, saddened by what had become her angered unbelief in God’s gift of grace in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Suffering rattles our trust in Him, doesn’t it? Oh, how we all need God’s amazing grace, offered as His gift to us.
It’s because of His grace to us as believers that we can just come to Jesus with our pain. We can bring our questions, doubts, hurt, and fears to our loving God of grace upon grace. What a gift of His ongoing grace as we suffer.
Beloved sister sufferer, could we sing the real lyrics that echo God’s Word to our hearts today, turning to His grace and not away? There is no sweeter sound to His ears…and to our own.
Past gift of justifying grace, repentance, and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ
Amazing grace!– how sweet the sound–
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost…
Was blind…
(“Amazing Grace,” Newton, J., 1779)
I was once lost, blind, wretchedly dead in the trespasses and sins in which I once walked, by nature a person deserving wrath for sin, like the rest of mankind (Eph. 2:1-3).
I once had earned the wages of sin…death (Rom. 6:23).
BUT NOW! BUT NOW!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
He opened my eyes, turned me from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, that I received forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18)!
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved…
Because of His own purpose and grace, I have been saved through faith, not a result of my works. It was God’s gift to me (Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:8; 2 Tim. 1:9).
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
By the washing and regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).
Ongoing gift of grace, God’s gift to endure suffering, evil, and temptation to sin
Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come…
Through God’s sufficient, powerful grace in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
Finding mercy and grace at God’s throne of grace, helping me in time of need (Heb. 4:16).
In Christ, I continually have redemption and forgiveness, riches of His grace (Eph. 1:7).
Sin has no dominion over me now, since I’m under grace and not law (Rom. 6:14).
’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
I’ve received God’s abundance of grace, so His free gift of righteousness now reigns in my life through Jesus Christ (Rom 5:17, 21).
Ongoing gift of grace in my suffering
The LORD waits to be gracious to you…He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you (Is. 30:18, 19 ESV).
The Lord has promised good to me…
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace (Jn. 1:16 ESV).
His Word my hope secures!
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14 ESV).
He will my shield and portion be…
Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm (Eph. 6:13 ESV).
as long as life endures.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20 ESV).
Forever grace, when all suffering ends!
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom. 8:32 ESV).
And when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease…
Being justified by the God of all grace, I’m now an heir with hope of eternal life, because He has called me to His glory in Christ (Titus 3:7; 1 Pet. 5:10).
I shall possess within the veil
a life of joy and peace!
God promises to show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness to me in Christ Jesus! Because it’s only through Christ that I’ve obtained access by faith into this grace, saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus. So I stand, in His gracious and unearned gift of grace to me (Acts 15:11; Rom. 5:2; Eph. 2:7)!
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
than when we’ve first begun.
Father, as we suffer, help us cling to the promises of Your amazing gift of grace, for the sound is very sweet to our hurting hearts. Remind us continually that we suffer differently than those who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior. For we do suffer, but as Your rescued, beloved children. We can come to You with every hurt. Help us to endure this suffering in praise of Your glorious grace, with which You’ve blessed us in the Beloved. Multiply Your grace and peace to my suffering sisters in Christ, into every difficult trial, until we sing Your praise face-to-face. In the name of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Material adapted from Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering: A Devotional Bible Study Prayer Journal, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2023
This week’s playlist gift and other resources for suffering Christian women
This week’s playlist gift brings our pain to Him, singing of God’s past, ongoing, and forever grace to us, found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m praying it helps us both not only turn to our God of grace, but also to release us into a calmed and quieted trust in His gift of grace, all the way home. Sign up below if this might bless you!
To hear Scripture devotional with calming hymn playing, click here for YouTube podcast.
Prayer, Scripture, and music podcast for chronic illness and pain
Devotional Bible study prayer journals, available on Amazon. Click for details.
Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering
Singing the Gospel to Job: FInding Hope in Suffering
Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character in Our Suffering
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