FALLING SHORT OF THE GRACE OF GOD -- Devotional for September 8, from "Good Seeds"

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, by which many are defiled. And let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Hebrews 12:15; Ephesians 4:31).

Romans 3:23 defines sin as “falling short of the glory of God.” 6:23 goes on to say that “the wages of sin is death.” It isn’t just an uncomfortable, unfortunate circumstance to fall short of God’s glory. No, it means we’ve missed the Glory Road, “the narrow upward path to life, and we are still on the broad downward thoroughfare that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13). To fall short of the glory of God is to be separated from the presence of God, forever! But Hebrews 12:15 speaks of falling short of something else – the grace of God. Grace is God’s loving-kindness. Those who by faith have taken in their first draught of grace, are invited to come back again and again for more, for as much as they want. But God will not force His grace on any man, whether to save his soul from perdition or to improve his earthly condition. And so, when we choose to think selfish thoughts, speak unkind words, or go our own way, God will not stop us. A word found twice in today’s reading describes the soul disease infecting such a person: bitterness. He falls headlong to the ground, plants himself as if a seed, which soon germinates into a root – the root of bitterness! And what comes from ROOTS? SHOOTS: the rest of the plant with its stems, leaves, flowers…and FRUITS. The Hebrews verse gives the principle: The fruit that comes of the root of bitterness will poison all who venture near. Bitterness spreads like an infectious disease, destroying everything in its path like a plague of locusts. The Ephesians verse details this plague, this poison: it’s not cyanide or arsenic – things that only touch the body – but cancers that can ruin even a redeemed soul: anger, fighting, arguing, criticism, gossip, slander, malice. Why do people, even some who call themselves God’s own, speak and behave in such hateful and venomous ways? I’m not sure – but I’ve surely seen it, and felt it. It starts in the heart of one who feels inadequate and cast aside, unloved. Instead of turning to God’s grace, he tries to effect his own cure by seeking out a friend or loved one or workmate – anyone with whom he has a soul connection – to pick on, to cut low, to criticize, to tear into, tear down, or tear apart. Any stripe of hurt or harm he inflicts on another is a stroke of help and healing for himself. But does it help? If so, why is he not better? Why is he still bitter? His only hope is to fling the root of bitterness and all its false fruits far from him, and cling once again to God’s marvelous grace!