Joey Turner
Grace, Love and Truth

Today I continued to read Psalm 18. If you have not read this Psalm, there is a lot packed within its verses. David has been rescued from his enemies and he is singing a new song. David realized the grace, the love and the truth of his God. He realized that in his despair the God of all the universe cares for him. He describes where he was in his life when he writes, “The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.”
Throughout the first chapters in Psalm, David describes the difficult spot he is in. He was near death at times. He was a father on the run from his son who was trying to kill him. He had traps set up for his destruction, but he cried out to God and God heard his pleas of anguish. God sent grace, love, and truth David’s direction.
Grace, love, and truth. You cannot talk about one and leave the others out. Each one stands on their own right, but each one lifts the other up. Titus 2:11-12 tells us about grace when it says, “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God” God’s amazing grace saves us. Grace gives us power to change. Grace teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly desires. Grace trains us to live a godly life.
Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself.” In this verse the Lord was speaking to Israel, but I know I can apply these words to my life today and you can apply them to yours as well. He loves me with an everlasting love and He is drawing me to Himself. As I study His word daily, I know I am experiencing His love in my life. The Lord is love to the entire world. The Lord is patient and kind towards all His creation. God’s love hopes all things, endures all things and never ends. That is a promise we can count on.
John 8:31, 32, and 36 says, “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” What an awesome thought today. Have you been set free by God’s truth? Truth is God’s grace and love in action and it sets us all free. God’s truth cannot be changed or broken, no matter how hard people try and truth is the very foundation of who God is.
David experienced grace, love, and truth when God rescued him. I am so glad he did, but what about us? Can we experience God’s grace, love and truth? Absolutely. If we are in a mess in our lives, Christ will rescue us with His grace, love and truth just as He did David, but we are required to do something. We must admit we are in a mess. David, in the verses in Psalm 18 is crying out to God and God heard his prayer.
When was the last time we called out to His name because our lives were a mess? Maybe yours is a mess today. Some of us are bound by guilt and we keep beating ourselves up for some past failures. How’s that working out for you? It does not work for you and it does not work for me. Sometimes we think that nobody is as bad as we are and that nobody could love the real us. I am so glad to say you are wrong. God can.
Jesus gave us grace, love and truth when He went to the cross for our sins. He knows everything we’ve ever done and everything we have ever experienced. Here’s the bottom line: if we want to be free from our mess we have to deal with past bitterness and guilt once and for all. We have to accept God’s grace, love and truth in our lives. If you continue to stay frozen in your past you will never move forward in your future.
1 John 4:18 says, “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” You are not reading this by accident. The Lord desires for you to experience His grace, love, and truth.
Yes, we all have messy lives, but my God provides messy grace to step in and rescue us. Our culture yells at us to not accept God’s grace, love and truth, but I want to encourage you to grab a hold of it. Everything about you will shout. “Don’t do it!” I can guarantee you today, it is safe. Jump into God’s unmerited grace, His unconditional love and His never-ending truth today and begin your journey to hope and wholeness in your life. If he can work on this messed up individual, he can help anybody.