Janet W. Smith, 12-27-18
“God is gracious and lavishly generous but that never means that I deserve what He so graciously and generously gives me—namely and best of all—Himself. It only and ever means that He is gracious and generous. It never means that I deserve what He gives me. I must humble myself every time and gratefully receive from Him, knowing that I never did anything to deserve or warrant His kindness.
All I can ever give God is my willingness to draw upon the Holy Spirit’s empowering grace and choose to yield in obedience to Jesus Christ and His Holy Word being formed within me. That’s it. That’s all I have to give to God, who gives me the grace to give Him even that!
All that I have and who I am is always from God, for God, and because of Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 4:7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
”John 15:5 I [Jesus] am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”