6/24 - God's Mercy

The only thing that's been on my mind this morning is God's mercy. Sitting here just thinking about it, the presence of it in my life, in the lives of my friends, the fullness of His mercy is absolutely absurd. I talked to a friend yesterday who I hadn't seen in a while and as we started to catch up, we somehow got into this loop of complaining about life when he quickly put an end to my part of it by saying simple things like "at least you have a mortgage" or "that's a pretty nice car you have." Some nerve I have huh? I've been blessed far beyond what I deserve. I'm not sure what I even deserve (or maybe I'm just scared to admit it) but I know this ain't it. In spite of all I do, I wake up each morning in a house that has food in it and even a few extra rooms to hang out in. I then get to drive in a car to my job, only to leave there and return to a beautiful wife who's carrying my child. I could go on for days about the blessings in just those last two sentences. Instead I sit here on the verge of tears because not only do I not deserve it, I don't even show God the appreciation He's due for it. The verse in Lamentations 3:22-23 is so true.

I mentioned the absurdity of God's mercy earlier because honestly that's just what it feels like to me. A holy God looks at me, in spite of my sin, and deems it fitting to bless me anyway. I totally understand where Job was coming from:

"I sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved. He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light. God does all these things to a man— twice, even three times to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him" (Job 33:27-30).

That brings into sharper focus for me the audacity of my sin. The spirit that says "I'm going to do what I want to do anyway" in the face of a God whose holiness and very being far surpasses the significance of our existence. Crazy to think about, even crazier to do I suppose. Let us be of a mindset of humble gratitude toward God and let it so permeate our minds that actions of gratitude and obedience flow out.

Here's a link for another blog on mercy: http://www.acts17-11.com/mercy.html

God please don't let me take your mercy for granted any longer. Let me always be aware of it and show my gratitude through righteous living. Purge me, cleanse me of anything that's not like You. Thank you for your new mercies this morning and another chance to worship you today with my life.