When you truly see Grace for the first time!

A little girl was born with a cleft pallet. Her self-esteem was deeply affected by the disfigurement. But, as a young girl, though deeply insecure, she had a teacher who truly adored her.

One day in class, the teacher ran an activity that was partly a hearing test, but also a fun game. Each pupil would stand in front of the class, with their back to the teacher. The teacher would whisper a phrase behind them, which they would then repeat if they could hear it.

To some of the little boys she whispered, “I want to be an astronaut” or “I love dirt.” To some of the girls she whispered, “I want to be a doctor” or “I love playing in the sun.”

When it came to the turn of the little girl with the cleft palate, she walked out in front of the class and faced them nervously.

Bending down to whisper just behind the ear of the little girl, the teacher quietly whispered, “I wish you were my little girl.”

Like a fresh dawn, it was as though a fog of lies lifted. The bright light of truth entered her soul. She saw the truth with crystal clarity for the first time: “I am beautiful. Somebody loves me. Somebody wants me. I am precious.”

That little girl grew up to say that this moment utterly transformed her life.

It’s the same with you. God made you for one reason – to love you.

The revelation of justification can be a moment of profound realization when we finally grasp it. The mist of religious striving lifts as we realize for the first time how utterly precious we are; totally forgiven of all sins. The blazing sun of mercy shines into our dulled hearts and we come alive. Alive to God’s glory, as we realize we are fit for it by a work of grace! Alive to God’s power as we sense the dignity of heaven filling us with the authority of Jesus. Awake to the face of Jesus as, for the first time, we realize He is so close, so accepting, so approving of us, even though we still carry areas of brokenness that are under construction.

An extract from my new book “500: Are we at the dawn of a new era of glory?” CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT 500: