Day 257

Isaiah 33:1-35:10, Galatians 1:1-24, Psalm 107:10-22

Forgiveness was the theme for tonight's youth service and Dan spoke about Stephen’s stoning and the forgiveness that Stephen asked for for his accusers with Paul stood there in the background. Dan pondered what Paul might have thought when this was said and at his subsequent conversion.

Whenever Paul writes to any of the churches he lays it on the line, he tells them what he was and he tells them what he now is.  I imagine that, whenever he writes (or dictates these words) he is more than conscious about the forgiveness that he has received, aware of the change that has taken place within him. When thinking about this change I wonder how often he pictured Stephen.

As Paul writes to the Galatians he speaks straight off about grace and without that Grace there would have been no forgiveness. The grace of God is almost too large for us to define and yet it is what turned Paul from the persecutor of the church (v13) to the Apostle that wrote these letters (v15). Paul talks so much about grace because he has experienced for real the power of grace and he know the change that it can bring.

Reach out today and grasp hold of the grace that God wants to give to all.