Growing in Grace ― A Daily Devotional for the Year

Growing in Grace is designed to take its reader through the Bible, one page a day. It begins in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Here we explore Bible truths such as creation, the fall of man, the entrance of sin and death into a once perfect world. We learn of God's promise, early given, to send a Saviour into the world to pay the price of man's sin and provide a way for man to be restored to a place of peace and friendship with God.We follow the mankind's story through the account of the world-wide flood, the call of Abraham and the beginnings of the Jewish nation. We watch as God takes people from this nation and uses them to reveal Himself through to the whole world. We follow the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and we see Joseph sold as a slave in Egypt, but promoted to second highest ruler in the land. We meet Moses, the man God uses to deliver the Israelites out of bondage. We see the Lord give to this nation, and so through them to the world, a revelation of Himself in His Word, in the Law and in the tabernacle; His dwelling place with man. We follow their journey and their wilderness wanderings for forty years. We read of Joshua, Moses' helper, who takes over the leadership of the young nation as they enter into the land that was once given to them by the Lord God. We read of the judges who ruled after Joshua's decease, and of Israel's apostasy during this time. We follow the reign of Saul, Israel's first and disastrous king, and we see God replace him with David, a man after God's own heart." We learn of God's unconditional and eternal promises given to David that the land of Israel would be theirs forever, the throne would endure for ever and that the kingdom would be eternal. We read of David's wise son Solomon and the greatness of his kingdom and the building of the temple and all its glory. We see the soon demise of all that he built and established, through the wickedness and foolishness of the kings which followed after. We read of the division of the kingdom and the bitter feuding between the two which characterized their following history. We progress as we look at the writings and the lives of the prophets who prophesied during this time. We look at some of the people the Bible mentions by name, whether they be big, important players in the nation's history and politics, or whether they be merely small and insignificant characters whose roles are recorded to reveal either their faith in God, or their lack of it. Through them, we see, that every person is entitled to make their own response to God, but of whatever they choose, they will forever be held accountable. We follow the Bible's story through to the New Testament and the birth of the long awaited Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. We read of His sinless life, His kind deeds, His loving care to all who came to Him for help and His ever-patient attention to all the problems that were presented to Him. We see His authority over sickness and demons, over nature and animals, but not over the personal choice of each individual. We see His crucifixion, His burial and His resurrection. We see His ascension and the impact this had on the lives of those who had been His disciples. We see the power He had to change lives and circumstances, and the purpose He has in doing so. We follow the teachings of the apostles and learn how to apply what has been written to everyday life. We learn to take Scripture at face value and to trust it and act upon it, in the knowledge that the One who gave it is trustworthy and true; His character, His grace and His will having been clearly seen and understood in all the pages previously read and examined. By giving the Bible a chance to speak for itself, I hope that its wisdom will be found to inspire, and its promises proven to be true.

Cara Page lives in Canberra, Australia with her husband and two sons. She grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa and lived for 6 years in Botswana, before moving to Australia. She has a BA in English and Art and post graduate diplomas in teaching. She also studied at Bible College and Bible Institute. She has home schooled her two sons, who are now both studying at university.