Grace
Refresh your memory of us—you bought us a long time ago.
Your most precious tribe—you paid a good price for us! ~ Psalm 74:2 (MSG)
You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich. ~ 2 Corinthians 8:9 (MSG)
SUMMARY SENTENCE
God paid dearly to rescue us.
PRAYER
Gracious God, thank you for reaching out to us when we were poor and helpless. Thank you for lifting us up at your own expense. Forgive me for acting like I've pulled myself up by my own spiritual bootstraps -- that I've been good enough or active enough to warrant your efforts. Help me to find my full identity in your grace so that I might become a credible witness of what you're up to. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
