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My four year old grandchild loves the game of Snap. You play it with a deck of cards that is divided into two equal piles. With your stack face down you quickly draw a card from your pile and put it face up. The other player does likewise, placing their card on top of the first card. This continues at a fast pace until two of the cards match. When a match occurs the first person to say Snap and slap their hand onto the pile of cards wins the whole pile. The player who ends up with all the cards from the deck wins that round.
Being older and much more experienced with the game of Snap, allows me to win the game as often as I so choose. Each time I do win, my grandchild looks at me and asks me to share my cards with her, so that she can continue to play. Each time she asks, I comply and divide my cards equally, half for me and half for her. As we were playing this game the other day and I was once again, sharing my cards with her I was reminded of God's grace and how He never fails to freely share it with us day in and day out.
"For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). Our salvation is by means of God's grace.
"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16 NIV). God's grace grants us the confidence to approach Him, not only in prayer, but to also be assured that we may receive mercy and grace any time we have need.
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect." (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV). God's grace transforms us into the people He made and calls us to be. His grace is not without effect in our lives as we seek to live them out day by day for Christ.
Snap is a fun little card game, where I have the opportunity to be gracious and share with my grandchild, who, in her trust and innocence, is not afraid to request or expect this from me. How much more so then, should we as children of God, do likewise when it comes to seeking His wondrous and merciful grace that He so readily shares with all who humbly ask.
Prayer: Father God, what a gracious and marvelous God You are. May many hearts this day be humble and trusting enough to simply reach out to receive Your saving and life transforming grace. Grace which is freely available to all who make the request. In Christ's name we ask. Amen.
Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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