Grace Is Like Chocolate Without The Calories: Devotions About God's Goodness
214
Grace Is Like Chocolate Without The Calories: Devotions About God's Goodness
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781683971047 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Nashville |
| Publication date: | 04/08/2025 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 214 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Loree Lough, bestselling/award-winning author of more than ninety books writes faith-based stories that touch hearts and change lives . . . one page at a time.
Award-winning novelist Trish Perry has published many inspirational romances and devotionals, as well as numerous articles, short stories, and essays.
Cynthia Ruchti is an award-winning writer of novels, nonfiction, and devotionals featuring stories hemmed in hope.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Earning Grace ... and Other Horror Stories
Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
JOHN 1:16–17
I'm one of those people who remembers dreams, and usually in great detail. For many years I've tried to figure out what messages my dreams might have for me in hopes that God will use them to communicate with me, like He did with certain men and women of the Bible. Unfortunately, years of dark hallways, growling giraffes, automobile-producing gardens, and missed social studies tests have blown by, unanalyzed, without any deciphered meaning. But the other morning I woke up with a throbbing back after dreaming that I'd been forced to carry my past sins in heavy wineskins over a rocky mountain range. It wasn't too hard to figure out the "hidden message" there as I wobbled toward the beautiful, blue lake where I was allowed to deposit them. I remember thinking, that I felt like one of the contestants on The Biggest Loser.
I love that show — partly because I've been fighting the weight battle for my whole life, but also because the brave participants inspire me. Late in each season, the producers set up a challenge for the contestants involving a race where they carry their old weight on their backs. For instance, if one of them has lost a total of 120 pounds, 120 pounds' worth of weighted packs are piled on them in the increments in which they lost it. At intervals throughout the course, they get to drop the packs in the order in which they lost the weight over the weeks.
Every time those incredible shrinking bodies add on the weight they'd been carrying through their lives before arriving at the Biggest Loser campus, I shrink into the sofa and cringe. How horrible! But as they move along the course and drop the first week's loss of twelve pounds, the second week's ten, and so on, viewers can't miss the change in their countenance.
What if we were forced to carry our sins around that way? What if our offenses and mistakes stayed with us in big weighted packs and we had to earn the right to drop them, one by one? What if the forgiveness of sin had to be bought, perhaps by racing, others on a course and competing for forgiveness?
The fullness of God's grace is astounding, isn't it? We don't have to carry those sins on our backs, groaning beneath the weight of them until we've been punished enough, earned enough "grace points," or made a strong enough case for probation. Instead, with one act of utterly unselfish love, we were cleared of all charges. Punishment? Not necessary. Jesus tells us, "I've got this," as He has already taken the beatings and condemnation and shed all the blood on our behalf, leaving behind a steady supply of clean and shiny grace for whenever we need it. Sandie
TODAY'S PRAYER
Glory, honor, and praise to You, Lord Jesus! I can hardly fathom the courage and love it took for You to walk away from Your throne beside the Father in order to take my place, to shed the blood that would forgive my sins. I'm humbled and grateful beyond words.
Lone Wolf
He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
PSALM 144:2
I'm crazy about wolves.
My favorite sanctuary spans acres of tree-lined hills, where nearly fifty wolves, rescued from abuse and neglect, were brought to live with as much dignity as can be achieved in such a scenario.
Five packs live there, and each is led by a strong, capable Alpha pair. They keep order and demand obedience even while at play. You'd think my first stop during visits would be the cubs, but although they're cuter than the Gerber baby, it's the lone wolves that lure me closest.
If you've ever owned a dog, you know that their faces can express joy, fear, and disappointment; I've seen the lone wolves express sadness as they pace the outskirts of pack activity. They understand what we humans can't: they will never be invited into the family circle.
They know, too, that meals will consist of what's left after the others' bellies are full. They're forced to dash in and steal biscuit crumbs, and the crumbs of human affection doled out by caretakers had better be stolen too ... if they don't want to pay a painful price. Loners are not allowed to participate in the fun of rowdy rough-housing. They're forbidden from nestling for warmth on cold, dark nights and from cuddling close for comfort when thunder and lightning crash around them.
Even a powerful animal like the wolf can take only so much rejection, and before long, the loners skulk into the forest, starved for food and companionship. And as much as my heart aches for a pack's lone wolves, it's even harder to think of lone wolves of the wilderness, who will never know the kindness and care of human hands.
I think that sometimes we feel a little bit like the sanctuary's lone wolves. When we've suffered the death of a loved one, gone through a divorce, or experienced a job loss, we feel separate and apart from friends and family. Just as the wolves don't trust their own kind, we erroneously convince ourselves that no one can possibly understand what we're going through, and so we skulk off to a forest of our own making: work, alcohol or drugs, the Internet or television. We hide from our spouses, neglect our children, stop walking the dog. We no longer feel like doing good deeds, because we've lost heart.
The wolves don't know to ask God for help. But we do!
If only we'd remember that in times of our greatest need, we are cradled in His loving hands, and although we didn't do a thing to earn His tender, merciful care, it's there for the taking.
He has promised that we never need to live on the outskirts, alone and afraid, hungry for compassion and love. Isn't that a miracle? Isn't that a blessing! Loree
TODAY'S PRAYER
O Lord, I will trust You no matter how dark the nights or how stormy the seas of my life. When I'm down, lift me up; when I'm blind to Your grace, open my eyes. When I'm deaf to the music of Your Word, open my ears. Though I don't deserve Your loving care, I thank You for it!
I Just Can't Cut It Alone, Lord
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
PSALM 51:10
Today's verse brings to mind a memory from grade school that is as vivid as if it happened yesterday, which is very weird, considering how insignificant it is. The teacher asked two other girls and me to cut out shapes from construction paper for an upcoming class event. I don't remember the event or even the shape we were creating, but it involved cutting straight lines.
It didn't take more than an effort or two for me to realize that my straight lines were hurting in a big way compared to those of my cohorts. And then the teacher helpfully pointed it out. "Try to be more careful on the rest of them and get them straighter," she said.
Honestly, I tried. I'm sure the tip of my tongue protruded from my pursed lips and my brows furrowed in concentration while I cut my next shape. But it turns out I was straight-line challenged.
And like King David, the author of Psalm 51, I remain straight-line challenged to this day. David wrote this psalm after the prophet Nathan convicted him of his involvement with Bathsheba and his nasty little front-lines setup to get rid of her cuckolded husband. I don't struggle with adultery or murder, but I have yet to go to bed at night knowing I've made it through the day without going outside the lines of who God created me to be.
Yes, I know, as a follower of Christ, I'm a new creation in the eyes of God. Thanks to Christ's standing in for me and paying the price for my sins, God accepts me as clean and blameless — all ready for stepping into heaven at a moment's notice.
But what about today, here on earth, from the moment I spaz awake at the alarm clock to the moment I doze off in bed, praying and occasionally apologizing to the Lord for however I botched up the whole "representing Christ" thing that day? God may consider my eternal heart clean, but today? How can my heart be clean if I'm rolling around in envy, anger, impatience, gossip, selfishness, and unwholesome thoughts and words? I may be saved, but I never make it through the day without sinning. I'm not losing my salvation with my daily behavior, but neither am I winning souls to Christ or even living life as fully as He would love for me to live it.
Could get mighty depressing if not for verses like today's. If David did what he did and then stopped to consider how far outside the lines he had strayed and fell humbly to his spiritual knees, pleading, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me," I suppose that option remains open to me too. Even if I think I've been Miss Perfect Christian today, this prayer should make the cut. Trish
TODAY'S PRAYER
Gracious Father, Your love and acceptance are amazing, and I turn continually to You to remember how much You love me. Thank You for seeing my heart as pure. Thank You for renewing an unwavering spirit in me, over and over again.
What the Rain Left
Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
DEUTERONOMY 32:2
When the warm rain cleared that summer afternoon, the grandkids and I dodged (for the most part) the puddles in the driveway as we crossed to the damp but freshly washed grass. The yard had corners yet unexplored, adventures to discover. At four and three, the boys were harder to herd than balls of mercury. My Grammie eyes darted to the dangers — barbed-wire fence, pond, traffic on the county road, poison ivy in the ditch, cockleburs and thistles at the edge of the woods ... But their inquisitive gazes, following their big sister, landed on a miniscule movement among the decorative rocks near the house.
Toady frogs.
The kids named them that. Frog-shaped but toad-colored and smaller than the average peanut M&M, the toady frogs held their convention in our yard that day. There were hundreds of them. I had a brief thought about Pharaoh and plagues, but these little gems of creation caused hours of pleasure rather than distress.
Fast but kid-friendly, the toady frogs tolerated capture and investigation by sweaty kid palms. Perfectly camouflaged, they hid among the stones in the landscaping. Squatting like pro golfers lining up a putt, we stared at the rocks until we saw something hop. One-inch toady frogs don't hop far, but the grandchildren's rapt attention registered the motion and sent them scurrying after with cupped hands.
The kids knew capture was temporary. As their for-the-moment science teacher, I explained about how delicately they need to be handled, what toads need to survive, about keeping the noise level low and respecting how God made them and how He wants us to be careful of all the amazing creatures He made. You can't learn about toady frogs without seeing them up close. But, they belong in their own environment, not in a glove.
A glove. That's right. While I scoured the outdoor toys and garden shed for a suitable temporary toad haven, one of the boys found his own creative answer. A translucent garden glove. He found he could fit four or five of the miniature amphibians in each finger. Like dorm rooms centered around a palm-sized main lounge.
There's something about a four-year-old carefully tending a toad-filled glove then gently setting each toad free that makes me smile.
It must have been the warm, tender rain that brought the toads in such numbers. I pray my impromptu science lesson fell like gentle rain too, since that's often how the Lord sends His lessons to my heart.
Like a hand on my shoulder saying, "Hold that more tenderly. You can't keep that forever, you know; we'll have to set it free. Here, let Me show you something amazing about what you've just found."
Sometimes the Lord has to yank me back from the edge of danger. But I'm grateful He also kneels beside me to show me His wonders and whisper His lessons with the tenderness of dew on new grass. Cynthia
TODAY'S PRAYER
Oh, Creator God, what a fascinating world You've made! Thank You for so often gentling me through the lessons I need to learn about it. Fill the gloves of my life with Your delights.
Words: Friend or Foe?
You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever.
PSALM 45:2
I've always loved words. Reading them, speaking them, hearing them ... I just love the language. A creative turn of phrase can stop me in my proverbial tracks, and I consistently strive to string words together in unexpected ways for the greatest impact. Since words are so important to me, you may ask yourself how in the world I recently found myself drowning in an attempt to take a few of them back for tailoring!
A friend who knows that I used to collect vintage jewelry often sends me a box of pieces she's picked up at flea markets or consignment shops. Some of them knock me out, others not so much — the latter of which, I usually put aside to give away. My best girlfriend and I had planned to meet at a conference I was set to attend in Indianapolis, and I wanted something very special for her birthday that same week. When I couldn't find anything just right after a dedicated search, I decided to have a look at my stash of vintage pieces. There was a stunning butterfly necklace in a clean white box that just jumped right out at me. I immediately thought of Marian, and I slipped it into my suitcase on my way to see her.
With very pretty and heartfelt words, I told my friend what she meant to me and how exceptional and special she is, closing with, "I saw this and immediately thought of you!" When she opened the box and saw the necklace, her flawless face dropped like a stone in a clear, still lake. "I'll bet," she replied.
It turned out that the butterfly necklace reminded me of Marian for a very good reason. It hadn't come in a box with a dozen other pieces. In fact, it had been one of several other gifts Marian had given me for my own birthday just a few months prior. Apparently it had been a very snug fit around my throat, and I'd placed it with the other pieces to give away. When the memory finally came back to me, my apologies seemed hollow. And I think I was more disappointed than Marian.
We didn't speak of the necklace again during our trip, but amid a later phone conversation I attempted to tell her how sorry I was. The more I tried to explain it, the worse it sounded, even to me.
However, here's the best thing about friends you've known forever: they tend to give you grace. Even though I'd obviously disappointed her, she extended the grace of understanding. In fact, when she flew in to celebrate my birthday this year and gave me several gifts, I told her, "Hey, I have something for you too. It's this beautiful butterfly necklace." And the two of us were — thank the Lord! — able to have a good laugh over it. Sandie
TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for the promise that our lips are anointed with grace. Even when we say the wrong thing, You're there to apply the balm.
Muddy Shoes and the Bagel Boys
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
TITUS 2:11–12
My gal pals and I were chatting at a corner table in the bagel shop when a well-dressed young fellow walked up to the cashier. Not particularly handsome, he was soft-spoken, polite, and looked shipshape in his polished loafers, silk tie, and crisp white shirt.
"That reminds me," Chrissy said, "of the tie I bought John for our last anniversary ... that he never wears."
"And it reminds me," groaned Joy, "that since Pete went on a diet, he needs new clothes."
The next man in line left a trail of mud from the door to the counter and then barked out his order so loudly that the people way in back probably heard it too. As I waited to see which of my friends would comment on his rude behavior, Louise piped up with, "For two cents, I'd ask if he's single. He'd be perfect for my youngest daughter!"
Back home, I couldn't help but wonder why Louise hadn't seen the quieter, more courteous man as potential son-in-law material, instead of the handsome, inconsiderate one. So much for that "clothes make the man" rule, I thought.
Which sparked an idea for my next Sunday school lesson: I'd tell the bagel boys' story exactly as it had happened, with the good-looking loudmouth tracking in mud and the not-so-pretty fellow behaving like a gentleman.
Next, I'd run down the list memorized in business school: Shake hands with confidence. Dress with respect for yourself and those around you. Think before you speak, and then speak softly. Stand tall and sit up straight, so your demeanor sends the message that you are a person of good character.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Grace is Like Chocolate Without the Calories"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Sandra D. Bricker, Loree Lough, Trish Perry, and Cynthia Ruchti.
Excerpted by permission of Worthy Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Foreword,
Introduction,
Earning Grace ... and Other Horror Stories,
Lone Wolf,
I Just Can't Cut It Alone, Lord,
What the Rain Left,
Words: Friend or Foe?,
Muddy Shoes and the Bagel Boys,
Nocturnal Freak-Out,
Necklace of Contrasts,
Here, Wear My Armor!,
"Good Enough" Never Is,
Little Ol' Me,
With You, There Is Forgiveness,
The Truth Hurts ... at First,
A Little Brass-O Goes a Long Way,
Warmer by the Fire,
Hazards,
Peace of Mind: Not Just for Greeting Cards,
Forever Young,
Obviously!,
Take a Deep Breath,
Give Me a Sign!,
It Isn't a Stick!,
Jordan, Jericho, and Just My Own Stuff,
Scenic Overlook,
It's All Relative,
Shalom to Your Nefesh!,
Put Down That Remote,
Gloriously Inefficient,
Purified and Sanctified,
Rooks, Pawns, and Faithful Moves,
Kids! I'm Tellin' Ya!,
Shelter,
Who Is Your Barnabas?,
When Friendship Hurts,
Always Appreciated,
Gold Rush,
Supply and Demand,
The Prayer Wars,
Too Successful for Your Own Good,
Slower Now,
From the Mouths of Babes,
Yes, Virginia, There Is Grace in Silly Putty!,
Why Me, Lord?,
I Just Got Comfortable,
What Are You Doing Here, Elijah?,
There's Always Room for Cheesecake,
Hey! Watch Where You're Going!,
Snow Wonder,
Can't Get No Satisfaction,
"Hoover" You Waiting For?,
Still Waiting!,
The View from Here,
Badge of Dishonor,
A Stinky Situation,
At Least Something in Common,
Ears to Hear,
Crisis Intervention,
Come Blow Your Horn,
A Reason to Sing,
Strength Training,
Are We There Yet?,
A Tough Pill to Swallow,
What Did I Miss?,
Facing Forward,
My Cross to Bear?,
Mercy Me!,
When We Think No One Is Watching,
Change of Heart,
Love Covers a Multitude of Sins,
Walking with Grandpa,
Sweet Words,
Skinny Fingers,
Friends in High Places,
The Blessings Jar,
Sharing Blessings,
Whether Vain,
Divine Purpose for Dummies,
A Thrill a Minute,
Singles Only!,
This Is Grace,
Who, Me?,
Furry Wings and Fuzzy Halos,
Seeing the Truth in Time,
What's That Smell?,
Missing the Point,
A Pfennig for Your Thoughts,
Just Kidding!,
Dangerous,
Critics, Schmitics,
Step Away from the Sack!,
Christian Is as Christian Does,
Trying Not to Limp,
God Always Plans Ahead,
Out with the Old, In with the New,
Gotta Stay Sharp!,
Sew Blessed,
Bottles (and Bottles!) of Tears,
The Great Round Tuit,
This One Is for Keeps,
Mercy's Law,
Sandra D. Bricker,
Loree Lough,
Trish Perry,
Cynthia Ruchti,