Sometimes I just have to share, or I'll burst!
This is definitely one of those times.
I was weary,
needing a gentle reminder that His grace is so good.
needing a gentle reminder that His grace is so good.
He took me out of the mire and set me back on the rock--
and gave me a new song--like in Psalm 40:1-3.
How very like Him, such tender grace!
I am increasingly seeing that the impact of God’s mercy and grace is manifold. On one hand, in Jesus death, His mercy and grace accomplished the once for all payment for our sin, sealed our forgiveness, and obtained our standing as blameless in the sight of the Almighty Judge. As Jesus Himself said, “It is finished!”—the Greek is literally “Paid in full!” (John 19:30) Our sin debt is cancelled when we place our faith in what He did. (Colossians 2:13-14; Ephesians 1:13-14)
But—and here’s what’s so recently blessed my heart—it doesn’t stop there! Though that most wonderful thing has been accomplished for all time, His mercy and grace also have a most glorious on-going effect, too. By His mercy and grace, continual access to the most intimate relationship with God is forever opened to us. Through His blood we have confidence to enter the most holy place, to confidently draw near to His throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need! This is the every moment relationship reality of the spilled blood of Jesus on our behalf! And this would be impossible without the death of Jesus. (Hebrews 4:16-17; 10:19-23)
Eternal life is...
Yes, though almost impossible to comprehend, His mercy and grace mean even more than the magnificent and unfathomable blessing of status as forgiven subjects of the King of Kings. This gift of forgiveness is the starting place where unlimited access to the Father forever as sons begins. Jesus, in the prayer His disciples overheard on the night he was betrayed and arrested, talked with His Father about their plan to give eternal life. According to Jesus, talking to His Father, “this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God…” Our forgiven status is the door to knowing Him, to intimate access as sons. His gift of eternal life is to know Him!
More than the granting of legal status: forgiven, which alone is immeasurably glorious and more than enough to inspire praise to Him forever, God’s mercy and grace also mean His intentional, generous, yes, even lavish, gift of loving sonship forever!
(Ephesians 1:3-8)
(Ephesians 1:3-8)
The strength to live
This is what keeps me going from day to day—mercy and grace in my time of need from my precious Father who lavishes His love on me! We are not doomed to be weary, with our heads barely above water!
The writer of the absolutely amazing Psalm 18 understood this, and this can be the song of any and all who will put their hope in God!
“I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised…
He heard my voice out of His temple…
He bowed the heavens also, and came down… [WOW!]
He sped upon the wings of the wind…
He took me; He drew me out of many waters…
He rescued me because He delighted in me…[yes, delighted!]
The Lord my God illumines my darkness…
And by my God I can leap over a wall…[or more]
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him…[okay, I'm in]
Your right hand upholds me…
Your gentleness makes me great…[Almighty, yet gentle]
Exalted be the God of my salvation!” [yes, my salvation]
[brackets mine]
By the way, the long version of Psalm 18 is even better!
Honestly, this really isn’t the whole story, but I didn’t want to make this post any longer. So, I'll share more on where I started in weariness and how God led me to this place of rejoicing—and the new song He gave me—in my next post.
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