ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TOKONAKI SIULAI 4, 2026

SAAME 133-139; 1 KALONIKALI 16:28-34

Your interpretation of your history is never neutral. May you always view your life through the lens of the grace of the gospel.

Ko ho’o fakatonulea ki ho hala fonongaa ‘oku ‘ikai ta’e’uhinga. ‘Ofa ke tau siofi ‘etau mo’ui, ‘o fou ‘i he sio ‘a e kelesi ‘o e koosipeli.

You live your life based not on the various facts of your experiences, but on your interpretation of those facts. That's why two people in the exact same situation can have completely different experiences-they interpret the moment differently. So, the way you make sense of the situations, locations, and relationships that make up your personal history is never neutral. You always look at your life through some kind of lens that helps you make sense of who you are, where you have been, what you have experienced, what you have done, and where you are going. Sadly, as we look back on our lives, many of us omit the most important fact of human existence: the being, character, and rule of God. The existence of God is the ultimate fact that makes sense of every other fact in the universe. If you leave him out of your assessment of your life, you will never properly understand who you are.

If you are a child of God, the most important interpreter of your life is grace. God's grace was operating for you long before you knew anything about grace. In fact, it was working before you knew anything. God's work of grace in your life was written into his sovereign plan before the foundations of the earth were set in place. The author of your story decided that your story would be one of rescuing, forgiving, transforming, providing, empowering, and delivering grace. You have been showered with inexhaustible and eternal love, which you never could have earned. In every situation in which you have found yourself, in every location you have lived, and in every relationship you've been a part of God's love and grace have been operating. You may not have seen or felt that love and grace, but they were there. God was working so you would know him, and, in your communion with him, that you would have everything you need now, in the days that follow, and on into eternity.

Recounting the history of God's people, Psalm 136 views the high-mountain victories and deep-valley struggles through a single lens: the steadfast love of the Lord, which endures forever. In fact, that statement is repeated in verse. Twenty-six times! It's written to get your attention, echo in your brain, and change the way you, as a child of God, think about your life. You will walk through dark valleys, but your identity and future are secured by the fact that the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. May this shape the way you think about your life as a child of grace.