Saturday, May 9, 2015

God's superabounding Niagara Falls grace...

artwork by Lisa Plefka Haskin
As I pondered this beautiful work of art by Lisa Plefka Haskin, I could hear Chris Tomlin’s All My Fountains playing in my heart…Open the heavens, Come Living Water, All my fountains are in You, You're strong like a river, Your love is running through, All my fountains are in You.

Suddenly, the memory of a devotional from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers echoes in my mind…Is your source based on your own understanding or is it grounded on the redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually look back to the foundation of your love and affection and remember where your Source of power lies…remember that He is your supply…All my fountains are in You. (Psalm 87:7)


Thinking about my Source,
my Fountain, Jesus Christ, led me back to Ephesians Chapter One for a word study on His superabounding Niagara Falls grace from Ephesians 1:7-8..

Amplified: In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence)

NET Bible: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.

Phillips: It is through the Son, at the cost of his own blood, that we are redeemed, freely forgiven through that full and generous grace which has overflowed into our lives and opened our eyes to the truth.

Wuest: in Whom we are having our redemption through His blood, the putting away of our trespasses according to the wealth of His grace which He caused to superabound to us in the sphere of every wisdom and understanding.

Young’s Literal: in whom we have the redemption through his blood, the remission of the trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, in which He did abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence

A word study of grace (charis) reveals the definition is to rejoice. Grace is God's unmerited favor and supernatural enablement and empowerment for salvation and for daily sanctification. Grace is everything for nothing to those who don't deserve anything. Grace is what everyone needs, what none can earn, and what God alone can and does freely give. John Eadie, in his commentary on Ephesians, writes that grace (charis) is that goodwill on God's part which not only provides and applies salvation, but blesses, cheers, and assists believers…that many-sided favor that comes in the form of hope to saints in despondency, of joy to them in sorrow, of patience to them in suffering, of victory to them under assault, and of final triumph to them in the hour of death.

It has been said that the gravity of grace works like the earth’s water system, which always flows from the highest to the lowest point. Just as the waters of Niagara roll over the fall and plunge down to make a river below, and just as that river flows ever downward to still more low-lying areas where it brings life and growth, so too it is with God’s river of grace. Grace’s gravity carries it to the lowly in heart, where it brings life and blessing. Grace goes to the humble. The unbowed soul standing proudly before God receives no benefit from God’s falling grace. It may descend upon him, but it does not penetrate, and drips away like rain from a statue. But the soul lying humbly before God is immersed—and even swims—in a sea of grace.


A wonderful illustration of God’s grace
in Jesus Christ is experienced by those who have visited Niagara Falls, awed by the sight and sound and overpowering sense of it all. Every minute, about 200,000 tons of water plunge into the Niagara River gorge in a thunderous ovation to the lavish, generous nature of God. The Lord could have used a lot less water, but He didn't. He could have made the falls lower, but He built them 12 stories high. And because they are what they are from the creative hand of God, people come from all over the world to see Niagara Falls. What a picture of God's grace in Jesus Christ...in Whom we are having our redemption through His blood, the putting away of our trespasses according to the wealth of His grace which He caused to superabound to us in the sphere of every wisdom and understanding. The Greek word translated superabound means an exceeding measure, something above the ordinary. God's grace toward us is not squeezed out from an eye-dropper or carefully rationed like water during a drought. His grace is a Niagara of superabundance so lavish that we marvel at its display. Praise His Holy Name!

Take five minutes to marvel at God's superabounding Niagara Falls grace...

 
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38 comments:

  1. amazing indeed...thanks Beth...that was just wonderful, as is the Creator Himself!!

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    1. Thank you, Mary, your consistent encouragement and affirmations are truly a superabounding blessing from our Lord ❤️

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  2. Thank you Beth! We are both thinking on His grace this morning. I am realizing more & more how His grace abounds when we find ourselves in circumstances not of our doing nor by choice. Even there, His grace is at work. May we remember the far reaching hand of His grace & become women who also extend His grace. Grateful to have been neighbors at Sharing His Beauty. Blessings on your week!

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    1. Thank you so much Joanne, many blessings to you ❤️

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  3. Wow! I love thinking of it that way. He was showing me a picture of His grace through the flooding rainfall this week. i love it when He shows other people similar things at the same time!

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    1. Dede, your enthusiasm is heart-warming...thank you so much ❤️

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  4. I've never been to Niagara Falls but what a beautiful picture you have painted between the falls and His grace. Your neighbor at InspireMeMondays

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    1. Thank you so much for your encouraging comments...many blessings to you ❤️

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  5. I've never thought of the 'gravity of grace' before--thank you for this beautiful word picture :).

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    1. Thank you for this encouraging comment...it is a blessing to share with others what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has used to encourage me ❤️

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  6. I love everything about grace and the redeeming nature of God through the sacrifice of His son Jesus for us. What a beautiful gift God has given us even on the days when we feel like we deserve nothing. I did not know that grace means "rejoice". What a beautiful thought to take with me today. Have a blessed day.

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    1. Mary, thank you for your affirming comments...I, too, am amazed at the depth and breadth of God's grace ❤️

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    2. I am so glad you shared this at The Weekend Brew.

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    3. Thank you, Mary. It is a blessing to join my sweet sisters in Christ at The Weekend Brew community to encourage others ❤️

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  7. Amen ... grounded on His redemption! I'd have it no other way. So grateful, with you, friend, for His unfailing love ...

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    1. Thank you, Linda, for your encouraging comments ❤️

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  8. I am originally from New York and we visited Niagara Falls quite regularly. Words can't express the beauty of them. It brought me back to that place reading your piece. Visiting from Women with Intention

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    1. Michelle, thank you so much for sharing that with me. Many blessings to you ❤️

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  9. God's Niagara Falls of grace - love that picture!

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    1. Thank you, Susan, many blessings to you, friend ❤️

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  10. Love the image of Niagra Falls as a parallel for the abundance of grace God lavishes upon us. Wonderful!

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    1. Kathryn, thank you so much for your encouraging comments...many blessings to you, friend ❤️

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  11. Niagara Falls grace. Oh, how I love this imagery! We went to Niagara Falls for the first time one year ago. It was amazing. I wish I'd thought then of your analogy. Beautiful!

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    1. Lisa, thank you so much for sharing your comments with me...many blessings to you ❤️

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  12. This, right here, sums it up with beautiful clarity: "His grace is a Niagara of superabundance so lavish that we marvel at its display." Now, if only I could learn to live in that awareness. Thank you for sharing through Small Wonder.

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    1. Amber, thank you so much for stopping by from Small Wonder! I so agree with you about living in the present moment with that sense of marvel...many blessings to you.

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  13. I can feel the mist of His Grace raining upon me after reading this and watching the video. I have traveled a lot yet I have never been to Niagara Falls. I am amazed at their vast size and beauty.
    How blessed we are to have a God so gracious to us each and every single moment.
    Caring through Christ, ~ linda @ Being Woven

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    1. Linda, I Love your multisensory response to my post...so engaged...I so appreciate you sharing your experience with me! Many blessings to you ❤️

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  14. Grace seems tbe on all our minds lately. I love the analogy with Niagara Falls, I have only seen it on the movies (maybe superman) but it looks amazing. Thanks for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings

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    1. Thank you, Terri, it is a blessing to share at Good Morning Mondays ❤️

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    1. Thank you so much for commenting...many blessings to you ❤️

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  16. I've visited Naiagra Falls. It was over 20 years ago but ai remember it well. What a perfect picture of grace you've created - a seemingly unlimited supply rushing, pouring, spilling over. Thank you for this offering and for linking up at #GiveMeGrace

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    1. Thank you so much...I love being part of the community of sweet sisters in Christ at #GiveMeGrace...love your "ing" words describing grace so well ❤️

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  17. I've never been to the Falls but hope to someday! Great post! Thanks for linking up at Women With Intention Wednesdays! I look forward to what you will be sharing this week!

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  18. Gravity of grace - awesome! Thanks so much for linking this up with us at Grace & Truth!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by, Holly. It is amazing to think of God's grace like a huge waterfall in a river overflowing in us and through us to others! Many blessings to you!

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