{"id":40233,"date":"2026-09-04T02:02:27","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T02:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldchallenge.kinsta.cloud\/devotion\/hunger-grace\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T02:02:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T02:02:27","slug":"hunger-grace","status":"publish","type":"devotion","link":"https:\/\/worldchallenge.kinsta.cloud\/it\/devotion\/hunger-grace\/","title":{"rendered":"Hunger for Grace"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am convinced there is a hunger throughout the world for the grace of Christ, and scripture attests to this. Luke wrote that when Jesus preached, crowds of thousands \u201ccame to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured\u201d (Luke 6:18, ESV)<\/em>. These masses came because they had heard a rumor about a man of grace who would heal them.<\/p>\n

The hurting masses didn\u2019t travel those distances because they wanted to hear a preacher urge them to try harder. They were already worn down by discouragement, disease, and despair over their efforts to remain godly. This wasn\u2019t just a gathering of \u201cgood\u201d people. Many were probably on the fringes of life, people shoved aside by their broken condition. Whatever the case, observing the law had not brought them life.<\/p>\n

To these hungry sojourners, Jesus\u2019s reputation for grace turned out to be true. He not only preached grace but demonstrated it by healing them all: \u201cAll the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all\u201d (Luke 6:19).<\/p>\n

As a boy, I measured my walk with Christ by how well I demonstrated humility, purity, and mercy. If I caught myself being aggressive, I thought, \u201cI need to be more humble and meek.\u201d If I had sexual thoughts, I wondered, \u201cHow will I ever be able to keep a pure heart?\u201d Like many before me, I turned God\u2019s gracious promise of blessing into laws I tried to keep. If I \u201clived\u201d the beatitudes well enough, maybe God would say, \u201cGary, you\u2019re blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n

No! That is completely backward and utterly contrary to Christ\u2019s gospel. When Jesus looked on that crowd of people, he saw them already poor in spirit, on their knees in humility, harangued by sickness, exhausted by their efforts to live a good life. So what did he do? He spoke blessings upon them! Just as the Lord spoke creation into a void of utter darkness, Jesus spoke divine blessings onto ravaged sinners, people beaten down by life. He assured them, \u201cYou came here in mourning, but I say you are blessed in the eyes of God, blessed in your marriage, blessed in your labors, blessed in the depths of your soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was a radical message to their ears. These people only knew the terms of the Old Covenant. They thought they deserved to hear, \u201cYou\u2019re cursed! You didn\u2019t keep the law according to Deuteronomy; otherwise, your lives would be blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesus told them the opposite, \u201cBefore you\u2019ve done anything for me\u2014before you\u2019ve prayed, worshiped, or confessed\u2014I have already blessed you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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