The word Grace appears 132 times in the KJV of the Bible. The first time it appears is when Noah found ‘Grace’. God was in the middle of saying he was sorry he had created man and then the words: But Noah found grace! Grace here means ‘an object of beauty, favor, precious and to show mercy.’ Noah found the Pleasure of His Company and was saved from destruction.
In the New Testament the first time Grace is used is in Luke 2:40. And the Grace of God was upon him (Jesus as a child). Here Grace has a slightly different connotation “Full of cheer, liberal joy & pleasure, divine influence and favor.” Jesus walk in the Pleasure of His Father’s Company, in joy and favor.
Have you ever gone through a dry spell spiritually? Our past several months have been quite busy and disruptive with home renovations, the holidays, and guests in our home. Then at the very end, I caught a cold and was in bed a few days. Now I’m up and going, but feel like a dry crust of bread or a cracker spiritually. During this hectic time my reading was in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. There I saw God’s great wisdom in His law in new ways and felt a Holy fear in my heart at His awesomeness. Yet rather than move on over into the New Covenant, I camped out on Judgment and began to meditate on it.
After a few sleepless nights looking at his judgment, I really ‘worried’ rather than prayed my prayers to him. “Lord, what about my family? What about the nation? ISIS? The presidential election? Human trafficking? The lost people in Mongolia?” My mind was spinning. I realized that sometimes I pray as though the Lord doesn’t have all the information I have and I should explain to him all of the circumstances and the possible solutions to all of these problems. Have you ever prayed this way?
Then, as the morning light began to dawn I heard the Lord say, “Ruthie, believe it or not, I am aware of all of these situations. You have explained them well to me and I’m actually big enough to handle them all. They are not for you to carry. Can you trust me to carry them for you? Today, I want you to look up, print out and meditate on the word ‘Grace’.”
And so I did.
Grace is a gift and I began to reach out and receive His gift of grace. Grace says to my heart, “You are my joy and pleasure. You are what I came to earth to redeem, rescue and love. Soak in the thought that when I look at you, I smile. I long to just sit a while and simply enjoy your company. Will you sit with me?”
And so I did that too.
THAT, my friend, is grace. The Pleasure of His Company! His joy, His pleasure, His love poured out on me. The price of judgment (My Debt) has been paid and He has torn up my bill. Now He simply desires the pleasure of MY company. This dry crumb has now become soaked. Maybe even to the point of bread pudding! Moist, sweet, and pleasant for the King.
I challenge you today: Sit a spell with the lover of your soul. Meditate on His marvelous, amazing grace. Realize that when He looks at you, he smiles. Know that you are His joy! His treasure! His child, bought, paid for and fully adopted into His family! Not because you deserved it, but because He saw you, loved you and wanted you for his very own.
Our lives/His Purposes-Ruthie's Impressions 
Ruthie, this is SO beautiful, so well spoken. I can easily identify! Thank you for sharing this. I plan to sin in His presence today and enjoy Him, knowing He’s enjoying me also! Thank you, friend!
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Thank you so much my friend. Enjoy Him to the Max!
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Thank you so much for this beautiful meditation, Ruthie. It is in harmony with what I am experiencing with Our Lord. I don’t know if I have told you in past emails, but at least two mornings each week, I sit in the dark, from around 5 AM until 7 AM… no music, absolute silence and no lights, meditating on Him, asking Him to be increasingly real to me, and asking Him to audit my life and reveal any corner where He does not dwell or anything in my life that blocks the flow of His Spirit into me and out of me, to touch those about me. This is the most precious time of my week, and I regret the fact that I cannot continue to sit in that situation for the entire day. I sense the same experiences are being in your life.
Your friend, brother, and fellow slave of Our King
Jim
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Jim, yes but I have never even thought of your experience. Sitting in the dark with Him. Thank you my brother. Your life and walk with our King is an ever increasing influence on my life. Love you and it is always an honor to hear from you.
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Great article Ruthie! I have been working on learning to just sit and enjoy His presence, even reading a book on ancient practices of spiritual disciplines. I love what you said about praying as if the Lord doesn’t have all the information we have and somehow we must inform Him of what’s going on. I do that often. Oh, to learn to just trust Him and sit back in His rest. Beautifully and well written, my dear friend!
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Thanks Michael. Appreciate you
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