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Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work” (v. 8).
A few days ago, my wife and I picked up my sister and took her out for lunch to celebrate her eighty-sixth birthday. Since we were not familiar with the eating establishments in her area, we asked where she would like to eat. She told us of a restaurant that she liked, and fried chicken was their specialty (that suited me wonderfully). As we sat and enjoyed our lunch together, I observed a young man keeping the buffet stocked. I could not believe how much fried chicken he carried out. They had an abundant supply of fried chicken.
Though it seemed that the chicken was abundant, there was only so much chicken available. When we talk about God’s grace being abundant, we know that it cannot be exhausted. In our text verse we read “all grace.” Paul said that this “all grace” abounds toward us. It is not something that we are entitled to, but God makes “all grace” abound toward us when we are His children, endeavoring to live in obedience to His commands and in accordance with His statutes. He understands our weaknesses and limitations but wants us to come to Him for help when we fail to live up to His expectations. (Larry DeOrnellis)

It is wonderful to know that God makes all grace abound to us, His children.

This devotional is the Friday, June 5, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.

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Read Revelation 22:1-9
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (v. 1).
“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7). I can think of nothing more majestic or serene than crystal, refreshing, sparkling, pure water flowing through the grandiosity of elegantly crafted and adorned structures. I doubt anyone would dare criticize the beautiful Blue Danube drifting through Budapest, the River Seine through Paris, the Thames through London, or even the Central Canal running right through the Indiana Government Center in downtown Indianapolis.
Ah, the imagined bliss of the Garden of Eden, that with one wrong choice forever marred the spotless beauty of the paradise God had created for habitation. Although today we see His handiwork, despite the impediments resulting from the entrance of sin, we have the promise that our Creator has plans to restore the perfection of His creation for the enjoyment of those who partake of the abundant life possible through His Son, the Lamb. (RB Kuhn)

O Lord, your paradise awaits our entrance; the tree of life blooms full.
Your providence will guide us; someday we’ll rest by waters cool. — RB Kuhn

The idea of paradise is nothing new with the Creator. Don’t miss what He is preparing for you, dear child of God.

This devotional is taken from the Sunday, May 31, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
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Read Matthew 24:36-41
“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (v. 37).
I am appalled day after day as I observe the extent of human wickedness in our world. Regardless of the medium, news programs inundate us with the most disgusting, heartbreaking stories one can imagine. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9).
As I write this devotional, news stories include a teen-age girl who killed her brother, gunmen who killed twelve people in France, a father who threw his daughter off a bridge, a celebrity being charged with fraud, a porn star and a lesbian couple in the spotlight, and on and on. One almost feels the need to take a brain shower after the daily dose of headlines to say nothing of the in-depth stories. We read that in the days of Noah, “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5).
I believe we have cycled back to the condition in this world that brought God to the decision to wipe man off the face of the earth. This time He will be setting events in motion for the closing of this era permanently with the greatest event being the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (Harold Carpenter)

All the earth is groaning, crying for that day of sweet release,
For our Jesus to come back to earth again. — James M. Kirk

Focus on the up-look rather than the out-look.

This devotional is the Monday, May 18, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
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