Pretty amazing grace ∙∙

Pretty amazing grace ∙∙

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. – 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Acts 9:3-6

3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!
6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Neil Diamond, a legendary American singer-songwriter, was born and raised in Brooklyn as the son of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland. His iconic voice and deeply resonant lyrics catapulted him to fame, earning him a place among the highest-selling artists of all time, with over 100 million albums sold worldwide. Among his many chart-topping hits, “Sweet Caroline” stands out as one of America’s most beloved and instantly recognizable songs, a timeless anthem that continues to echo at stadiums and gatherings across generations.

During the height of his career in the 1960s and 70s, Diamond’s music often reflected the spirit of the times—brimming with themes of free love and existential exploration. Yet, these themes mirrored not just the era but also his own hedonistic lifestyle. Despite his commercial success and immense wealth, Diamond experienced personal turmoil. Beneath the spotlight, he battled loneliness, depression, and an absence of real joy in his heart.

As he searched for meaning, Diamond turned to a variety of answers the world offered—dabbling in oriental mysticism, meditation, extensive psychoanalysis, philanthropy, and political activism. Yet none of these pursuits quenched the nagging void within him. Even music, his great gift and calling, could not fill the emptiness. His restless soul left him yearning for something greater.

In the twilight years of Johnny Cash’s life, Diamond spent meaningful time with the iconic country musician. He even performed in Cash’s home—a moment that, though not widely publicized, holds deep significance. Perhaps, unknowingly, this time with Cash—who himself underwent a life-changing spiritual transformation—planted seeds in Diamond’s heart for a similar awakening.

Then came a remarkable turning point in 2005. After years of searching, Neil Diamond experienced a spiritual transformation that changed the trajectory of his life. He came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, His Jewish Messiah, and openly described himself as “a man of God.” It was a profound shift, and the fruit of this change was evident not only in his words but also in his music. Suddenly, the themes of his songs took on a deeper, more spiritual tone. One 2005 song, “Man of God,” captured the essence of his newfound identity:

“Singing for Him is like touching the sky
I don’t need to know why, I just know that it is.
Each time I sing out I want to rejoice
Cause when I hear my voice, I believe that it’s His…”

Diamond declared himself a man of hope, faith, and peace—a man transformed and now living with a new purpose in his heart.

Three years later, he shared another deeply reflective song centered on grace, titled “Pretty Amazing Grace.” This piece revealed the beauty of his spiritual awakening and the joy he discovered in a relationship with God. Through poetic lines, the song tells the story of a man once lost, now found—a man whose emptiness had been filled and whose heart had been reclaimed by divine love:

Pretty amazing grace is what You showed me.
Pretty amazing grace is who You are.
I was an empty vessel, You filled me up inside,
And with amazing grace restored my pride.”

The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a broken soul brought back to life by grace—grace that forgave his shortcomings, calmed his fears, and led him to hope and faith. It was a grace that gave him a new vision, freed him from aimlessness, and filled him with a love he once doubted could exist:

Pretty amazing grace is how You saved me. And with amazing grace reclaimed my heart
Love in the midst of chaos. Calm in the heat of war. Showed with amazing grace what love was for

You forgave my insensitivity. And my attempt to then mislead You.
You stood beside a wretch like me. Your pretty amazing grace was all I needed.

Stumbled inside the doorway of Your chapel. Humbled in God by everything I found
Beauty and love surround me. Freed me from what I fear.
Ask for amazing grace and You appear.

You overcame my loss of hope and faith. Gave me a truth I could believe in.
You led me to a higher place. Showed Your amazing grace. When grace was what I needed

Look in a mirror I see Your reflection. Open a book You live on every page.
I fall and You’re there to lift me. Share every road I climb. And with amazing grace You ease my mind

Came to You with empty pockets first. When I returned I was a rich man.
Didn’t believe love could quench my thirst. But with amazing grace You showed me that it can.

In Your amazing grace I had a vision. From that amazing place I came to be
Into the night I wandered. Wandering aimlessly. Found Your amazing grace to comfort me.

You overcame my loss of hope and faith, Gave me a truth I could believe in.
You led me to that higher place. Showed me that love and truth and hope and grace were all I needed.

Through his new songs, Neil Diamond testified about a profound redemption that reignited his spirit. His lyrics became a personal testament of the transformative power of God’s love and grace—a witness to the peace that had long eluded him.

Diamond’s spiritual renewal inspired not only his music but also his life. His declarations of faith and the raw vulnerability in his lyrics became a beacon for others, proving that, no matter our status or success, we all thirst for a truth greater than ourselves. At the age of 77, Neil Diamond retired from performing due to a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Yet even in that season of his life, his faith and inner peace remained evident.

His story reminds us that hope and healing are not confined to youth or circumstance. Diamond’s lyrics and life invite us to reflect on the divine grace available to us all—a grace that transforms emptiness into abundance, despair into joy, and wandering into purpose. Neil Diamond’s music continues to echo in the hearts of millions, but now, it carries with it the unmistakable message of light, redemption, and a life renewed by amazing grace.

REFLECT & PRAY

“Humbled in God by everything, I found beauty and love surround me. Freed me from what I fear. Ask for amazing grace, and You appear. You overcame my loss of hope and faith. Gave me a truth I could believe in. You led me to a higher place. Showed Your amazing grace” (Pretty Amazing Grace).

Father, thank You for providing pretty amazing grace for every child of the King.

INSIGHT

Neil Diamond’s story, while remarkable, is far from unique. His spiritual transformation is part of a larger, timeless narrative of the Father drawing the children of the King to Himself.Throughout history, there have been countless accounts of lives radically changed by the power of divine grace. Consider the apostle Paul—a man whose encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ redefined not only his life but also the way he viewed the world.

Paul’s transformation began on the road to Damascus when he was confronted by the blinding light of Christ Himself. Stripped of his vision, both physically and spiritually, Paul was humbled. Yet, when his sight was restored, he saw the world with entirely new eyes. It was as if scales had fallen from his heart as well as his eyes, and the grace he encountered in Christ forever altered his purpose. Paul himself became a powerful instrument for the gospel, proclaiming God’s grace to all—grace that serves a purpose, regardless of past failures or sins.

The radical beauty of “Pretty Amazing Grace”—and the grace Paul experienced—is that it takes us as we are, broken and rebellious, and qualifies us to serve the Father. Grace rewrites our story. The Father doesn’t just forgive; He trusts and restores us, placing us into His service despite our rebellious history. This truth is as profound for us now as it was for Paul in the first century.

Before Paul’s 180° transformation, he was, by his own admission, the worst of the worst. His actions were reprehensible—persecuting children of the King, spreading fear, and standing in fierce rebellion against the very Messiah he would later live and die for. He didn’t mince words about his past, calling himself the chief of sinners.

1 Timothy 1:15 “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I am the worst of them!”

When the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world, He was sent on a mission by the Father. He was to be the Savior of sinners.

Paul’s honesty reveals a deep truth about humanity. When Jesus came, His mission was clear. He wasn’t sent to call the righteous but the broken, the lost, and the sinful. But who are these sinners? That category encompasses every single one of us. By both nature and deed, sin is an inheritance we all bear. It’s woven into the spiritual DNA we received from our first parents, Adam and Eve. Sin permeates not just our actions but the deepest recesses of our hearts. It’s any thought, word, or deed that defies the Father’s will and separates us from Him. It lurks in the shadows of our lives, often concealed but always present.

Jesus entered the world for this very reason. To put it another way, as Paul might say, “Christ Jesus came on a divine mission to rescue sinners and free them from their broken state.” Sin is pervasive, but the rescue mission of Christ transcends it.

Through the power of “Pretty Amazing Grace,” lives are turned around. Paul’s story is a striking example of rescue and redemption. The worst sinner was redeemed to become one of history’s greatest voices for the gospel. But this grace isn’t limited to the pages of Scripture. It moves powerfully in modern lives, too. Neil Diamond, in his 70s, was embraced by the same grace that saved Paul. His heart was transformed and reoriented toward the Father, and his life became a testament to redemption.

This good news applies to every child of the King. Regardless of background, failure, or rebellion, God’s grace reaches us right where we are. Jesus made His mission crystal clear:

Mark 2:17 “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”

Each of us is part of this story. Jesus came not for the perfect (for there are none) but for the sick, the broken, and the lost. He stepped into our mess, offering Himself as the cure for a spiritual condition we could never fix on our own. The grace He gives doesn’t merely forgive; it restores and empowers. It gives us hope. It gives us life.

Neil Diamond found pretty amazing grace. Paul experienced overwhelming grace. And it’s the same grace, freely available, that waits to transform our lives. This grace seeks and saves, heals and holds. Will you allow this grace to rewrite your story? Will you step into the light of a love that knows no bounds and a Savior who calls you by name? The invitation, as it has always been, is waiting.

¯_(ツ)_/¯9-23-1

© Dr. H 2025