by Anna Haiar

The Miracle of Grace

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
Psalm 100:3 English Standard Version

Earlier this summer, our family watched eagerly as a new calf on our farm was born. The newborn calf wobbled as she took her first breath—legs weak, instincts raw, unaware of anything but the warmth of her mother and the unfamiliar world around it. She had done nothing to earn her place in the pasture. And yet she belonged instantly to our herd—fully, wholly, and unconditionally.

This image reflects a deeper truth of our faith: we, too, are born into the care of our Creator—not by our doing, but by His grace. We know that it is God who brings us into His flock through Holy Baptism, washing us clean and claiming us as His own. Just as the calf is utterly dependent on its mother, we are entirely dependent on God’s mercy and love. We bring nothing to our salvation but our need. It is Christ who gives us everything: forgiveness, righteousness, and new life.

Psalm 100 reminds us: “It is He who made us, and we are His.” That declaration echoes our identity as believers—we are not our own. We belong to the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. Our new calf will grow in time. She’ll learn to stand, walk, and follow. Likewise, we are daily renewed by the Holy Spirit, strengthened through Word and Sacrament, and guided by God’s grace in our roles as parents, spouses, workers, and neighbors. Our life is not a self-made success, but a response of faith to the One who sustains us.

Like the birth of our calf, we can see the wonder of new beginnings. In the life of a believer, we see the miracle of grace—where God gives, nurtures, and preserves all that we need for this life and the next.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado