Thoughts and Mercy

        As a blog writer, I often try to make my blogs somewhat personal.  Today's blog is about our thoughts and you can't get much more personal than that.  Our actions are often seen and speak loudly, good or bad, but our thoughts can be hidden and yet find a way out too.  The Bible warns us in Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard our hearts, for everything you do flows from it" and that is so true with our thoughts.  Sin begins with a thought and progresses into active form when we justify our wrong thoughts as okay and acceptable.
       "The mind is the control tower of life. Your thoughts greatly influence not only your successes, failures, and choices but also your relationship with the Lord and others. Godliness comes from thinking the way God does.  Yet there are several problems that can negatively impact your thought life. One of the most persistent is the influence of your past. When you were saved, God gave you a new spirit and a new life. However, in letting you start over, He did not blot the past from your mind. The Father wants you to be able to draw from your good and bad experiences when ministering to others. He also wants you to appreciate His grace and knows it is important for you to remember what He rescued you from." [intouch.org]
        As for myself, the past few months after my fall, I have struggled with my thoughts.  I had so much time where I was alone and at rest with just my thoughts.  I was tempted by my medicine and circumstances into thoughts of anger, pity, depression, and anxiety.  That's when the rubber meets the road and my beliefs and convictions were tried and tested.  Philippians 4:7  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Psalm 119:87  "They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken your precepts."  I don't know where the following quote is from, but it is so true.  "God is working even while you are waiting. Think of this time of waiting as a process that will eventually culminate in a victory. In the meantime, remain faithful and know that God is there with you, preparing you for the battles, goals and victories to come. "   My waiting has been full of impatience, struggles and fear but it has led to trust, milestones, and witnessing the power and love of God for me.
       I want to praise God not only for the grace He has shown me, but also to be a reflection of His mercy to others.  Mercy is not my strong suit or spiritual gift so I want to share a list of ways to be merciful from my devotional by Rick Warren.  I need this list reminder myself and this is my best place to archive it. 

So, how will you be merciful?  [Rick Warren...Living in the Goodness of God]

• Be patient with people’s quirks. What person in your life has irritating quirks? How can you practice patience with that person this week?
• Help anyone around you who is hurting. See who around you is obviously hurting—and then look for a way you can help this week. If you can’t find anybody, then you’re not paying attention. Look closer!

• Give people a second chance. Who in your life needs a second chance? How can you show that person mercy and compassion this week?

• Do good to those who hurt you. Maybe you’re suffering from an old wound that you have not been able to let go of. Choose to forgive and then turn it around for good. Who is that person in your life? Will you make a phone call or a visit this week?

• Be kind to those who offend you. Who offends you? Maybe it’s a politician or a comedian that you can pray for. Maybe it’s a Facebook friend who has different views and says some pretty offensive things. How can you be intentional about showing kindness to that person this week?
• Build bridges of love to the unpopular. What person first comes to mind when you think of an outcast? Who spends their lunch breaks eating alone or doesn’t seem to have any friends at soccer games? What specific thing will you do this week to bridge the gap between you and that person with love?

     *  Value relationships over rules. 

“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7 NLT)

Call On God, He Is For You

2 Chronicles 7:14-15  "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. "




         People often refer to God as 'the big guy in the sky' or as some far off deity.   That irreverent label comes not only from a lack of knowledge, but also from a lack of a personal relationship with God.
         We often fail to recognize and acknowledge how involved God is in our lives.  I am doing a bible study on 'The Verbs of God" by Margaret Feinberg.  She points out the many active ways God is working in and through us for His will and glory.  "God answers, blesses, cares, cleanses, delivers, disciplines, encourages, forgives, guides, heals, hears, increases, listens, loves, opens, pours, protects, rejoices, remembers, rescues, restores, satisfies, saves, strengthens, teaches, upholds, watches, works" and more on our behalf.  When you read over these verbs, are you not reminded of His goodness and faithfulness in your own life?
         Sometimes we feel so alone, that we doubt that God even cares, but He does!  God became flesh through Jesus Christ and felt all the sufferings of this world, just as we do.  In our troubles, we often focus on the problem instead of looking to God first.  "Oh God I need you. Every hour I need you.  My one defense, my righteousness.  Oh God, how I need you."  We often pour our energy and thoughts into getting out of our circumstance, rather than through it with His help.
       Psalm 34:4-7   "I sought the Lord, and he answered me;  he delivered me from all my fears.  Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them."
       God calls us to not only have a personal bond with Him, but also for us to be a reflection of Him to the world around us.  How can others want to know your God, if they don't see Him living in you?  "Jesus Master, I would be More and more made like to Thee."
      Psalm 40:17  " The Lord thinketh upon me. The Lord will take care of me."  Is that not enough for us in any trial we face?  Whenever we are hurt, anxious, fearful, or suffering...let this verse be your first thought.   Call on the name of Jesus.. what a beautiful, wonderful and powerful name it is!





       

Turn, Turn, Turn..Where Do I Turn?

Deuteronomy 31:8—“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Psalm 34:17-19—“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Psalm 40:1-3—“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in Him.”

Psalm 17:6-7 --"I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.  Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes."

1 Peter 5:10--

"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."

         We all suffer at some points in our lives and are tempted in various ways.  Where do we turn?  Where we turn says a lot about us and our character.  "Think about it. What does it tell us about young kids whose trouble turns them toward gangs or guns or drugs? What do we learn about adults whose difficulties direct them toward alcohol or illicit relationships or the bizarre teachings of a cult?  What does it tell us about ourselves? Where do we turn when we have trouble with a relationship? Do we turn to the Bible for wisdom? Do we pray for direction? And where do we look for help when we are struggling with sin? To the Lord Jesus, the Master of forgiveness? To Scripture for foolproof help? "[odb.org]

         We often forget that Jesus is right beside us in every storm or struggle that we find ourselves in.  He isn't surprised by it, like we are, because He always goes before each of us.  He hears and delivers us from our troubles WHEN we turn to Him.  Where we turn is where we put our trust.

        "Whatever be the subject of our thoughts, we are met by the eternal promises of God, promises that exactly meet our need. And how many soever be the promises, we know that in our Lord Jesus Christ is the yea, and through Him is the amen." [A. Carmichael]

        From 'The Edges of His Ways'..... “My trust is in Thy mercy; and my heart is joyful in Thy salvation. I will sing of the Lord, because He has dealt so lovingly with me: yea, I will praise the name of the Lord Most Highest” (13:5–6, PBV). That is where we are meant to live, and where we can live we will live.

         We should turn our thoughts, griefs, desires, and needs to Jesus.  He provides the greatest rewards and fulfills His promises with guarantee.  Psalm 94:19:  “In the multitudes of my anxieties within me, your comforts delight my soul.”   His comforts include Scripture, which should be our first turning point, because it reminds us of His great love for us.  Psalm 117:2  "For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord."  Romans 5:8  "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

        If and when youre suffering,  Ask God to help you look beneath the surface of your circumstance, to His eternal purpose and His everlasting Kingdom (2 Corinthians 4:18).

What Matters Most?

     So we have started a new year, 2019.  For many reasons of 2018, I couldn't wait to begin a new year and hopefully, a new beginning.  Many people say "I wish you a Happy New Year."  Wishes are just empty hopes with a little luck involved.  How much more meaningful would it be to say, "I pray that this year brings you blessings that draw you nearer to our Father in Heaven."  I prefer someone's sustaining prayers over wishes any day.
      I am reading a devotional with excerpts of writings from Amy Carmichael.  One talks about, "The only thing that matters is to please God."  As we start the new year, I think this is an important thought to dwell on.  Before I decided to blog this year, my thoughts were on having fun and self-serving tasks.  I considered though that I enjoy blogging and that I learn as much or more than my readers.  So when I read this quote about what really matters, I knew my blogging pleases God and I made sure it was part of my year's agenda.
      2 Corinthians 5:9  "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. "
      From 'The Edges of His Ways"..... “All that pleases is but for a moment. All that grieves is but for a moment. Only the eternal is important.”  This quote struck a chord within me.  I'm still struggling with my new norm that my accident has beset upon me.  Many people want to trade in their old 2018 self for a new 2019 self through their new year resolutions.  I would trade my Jan 2019 self for my 2018 self in a heart beat now.  This quote encourages me to remember to not focus on my flesh but to try to make my soul more Christ-like everyday, as much as I can.
     2 Corinthians 5:4-5  "For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
      To become truly new, each person of their own accord must be reconciled with God by being born-again.  When one accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the change the grace of God in the soul makes old thoughts, old behavior,and old practices pass away.   M. Henry says, "Regenerating grace creates a new world in the soul; all things are new. The renewed man acts from new principles, by new rules, with new ends, and in new company."
     2 Corinthians 5:17-19  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them."


What does a new you look like for 2019 and what matters most in your life?  Consider and dwell on it.

Miracles Happen

Psalm 62:5-8

“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
Oh my people, trust Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.”

     Today is January 7, 2019 and it's been over 2 months since my last blog.  I've put off this blog for several reasons: strength, energy, ability, finding the right words and wondering if there are enough words to fully summarize my thoughts.

     If you read my blog, but don't know me personally..let me catch you up on my past 2 1/2 months.  On October

 21st I fell in the bathroom and hit my head on the concrete floor.  I knew it was bad but not bad enough to go to the hospital.  I saw my doctor on the following Thurs about my shoulder and knees. The xray showed nothing broken.  I took tramadol for pain.  I did activities over the weekend with help of pain medicine.  Tuesday morning I went to the hospital by ambulance.  My INR [blood thickness] was 13..way too thin.. supposed to be between 2 and 3 because I am on coumadin.  The cat scan showed a brain bleed in and on my brain.  I was transferred immediately to UAMS, a trauma hospital.  The doctors there wanted to do surgery and remove part of my skull or I could wait for them to try and reverse my blood's INR.  They pushed surgery because said they I would likely get sleepy and never wake again.  I chose against surgery.  My INR reversed quickly with the help of different meds they gave me.  I then spent a week in ICU.  I don't remember much of that week.  I came home, then after 2nd day at home I had 7 seizures then 2 days later 2 more.  During 2 of my worst seizures I quit breathing.  With the help of prayers and seizure meds, I didn't have any more seizures.  Within a few weeks, I got off of the seizure med, morphine and a fentanol patch. I'm still on percocet for pain,its combo of oxycodone and acetominophin, but it has no side effects like the others did.  This trial has been the worst thing I've ever experienced in my life and I still haven't completed my recovery...but God has given me great milestones this year to show His strength in me.

     I want to share a few thoughts on a few topics from my experience...

CONTROL

There is no doubt who was in control of my well being and situation--God!!  We saw His miracles in 3 ways...1]no broken bones in the fall, except my eye socket, 2] no internal bleeding from INR and fall, 3] breathing restarted during seizures.  There were so many times we had to just wait to see what God's will would be for my life.. called Home to heaven or continue His will thru me here on earth.  I am blessed to be here because it was God's will...not my strength or the doctors...it was His will to answer our prayers.

SALVATION

One thing that comforted me during this trial is knowing what I believe in--Jesus Christ!  When deciding for or against surgery, I didn't hesitate against it because I knew either way that I was taken care of.  Jesus took the sting of death away from me...not fearless but less fear for sure.  

While on the first set of pain medicines, the side effects were not nice....  Anxiety, cranky, less tolerant of sound and light, and frankness with what I said.  I knew I wasn't myself but it's how I felt.  I was comforted by knowing that I couldn't lose my salvation because of my behavior or circumstance.  I knew that if I was called Home that it probably wouldn't be on the 'nicest' day of my life.

PRAYERS

I definitely had a worldwide army of prayer warriors at work on my behalf.  God answers prayers that coincide with His will.  I am forever grateful to those of you who turned to God and spoke to Him so that I would get better through His grace and faithfulness.  Also thank you for the prayers for my parents and caregivers.  They needed prayer as much as I did.  

This blog wraps up my 6th 'and that's that' book.  I was unsure whether I would start blogging towards a 7th book or not.  My first trip back to church had a message that spoke to me on that very decision.  The sermon was on Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  So, since in the Bible 7 means 'complete', I will do my best to keep blogging with the strength God has and will provide.

What Does Being Holy Mean For Us?

1 Peter 1:13-16  " Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”


     I've started a bible study on 1 Peter and wanted to share thoughts I'm learning on 'What Does It Mean to Be Holy?'  I think it's a confusing, yet contradictory question.  I know for a fact that God is holy and I am a sinner, so how can I strive to be holy with my sinful nature still at work in me?  Let's explore the research I have found through Matthew Henry and various devotionals.
     Holy means to be set apart and to be separate from this world we live in.  Human nature makes it hard for us to live a life that is distinctive and different from this world.  As God's chosen, we are to be obedient and follow His ways in ALL we do.  Romans 12:2  "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."  We are to live in a way as a reflection of who you are as God's children.  Our behavior flows from our identity, with God or with the world.

     Points from M. Henry on living holy lives.... 

1.  Christianity is a doctrine according to godliness, designed to make us not only wiser, but better.
2.  The main work of a Christian lies in the right management of his heart and mind.
3.  A Christian’s work is not over as soon as he has got into a state of grace; he must still hope and strive for more grace. When he has entered the strait gate, he must still walk in the narrow way.
4.  A strong and perfect trust in God’s grace is very consistent with our best endeavours in our duty
5. The children of God ought to prove themselves to be such by their obedience to God, by their present, constant, universal obedience.
6. Persons, when converted, differ exceedingly from what they were formerly. They are people of another fashion and manner from what they were before; their inward frame, behaviour, speech, and conversation, are much altered from what they were in times past. 
7. We must imitate God, though we can never equal him. He is perfectly, unchangeably, and eternally holy; and we should aspire after such a state. The consideration of the holiness of God should oblige as to the highest degree of holiness we can attain unto. 
8.  The written word of God is the surest rule of a Christian’s life, and by this rule we are commanded to be holy every way.    

      "A believer’s character, conduct, and conversation should be reflections of Jesus, who lives within. On our own, we might place too much emphasis on behavior and get caught up in following rules and rituals that look Christian without truly reflecting Christ. But God has given each believer His Holy Spirit as a teacher and guide. The Spirit works to transform our minds and hearts so that we are markedly different from our unsaved peers. When we allow the Spirit to control us, we speak and act in accordance with our true identity: God’s sons and daughters.  Our Father wants His children to be living examples of who He is. He doesn’t expect perfection—He knows we can’t be totally sinless in our human body. But He shows us how to think and act so we may “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [we] have been called” [intouch.org]
      As we strive for holiness, we must consider Who we are trusting. 
      Here are 7 statements that can help you decide if your decisions are leaning on your faulty moral conscience or the trustworthy Holy Spirit: [intouch.org]

1. Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord.
2. The Bible is the basis for your conduct.
3. You have a strong desire to obey God.
4. You make decisions prayerfully.
5. Your conscience sounds the alarm when you consider a wrong direction.
6. You feel guilty when you disobey
7. You feel compelled to repent of your transgression.

There is no true happiness apart from holiness and no holiness apart from Christ. [odb.org]

Fully Known and Loved

       Do you think you can know someone completely?  I don't think it's possible, even of ourselves.   We can try to get to know each other, but there is always an element of the unknown.  Only God knows us fully!  So what if we extended the question to, can you know someone completely and are they still loved by you?  Parents may say yes for their children, but to include everyone in life takes divine love. Only God knows us fully and still loves us! God's grace and mercy are divine examples of that love that are extended to all.
      Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
       God made each one of us and knows us better than we know ourselves.  And yet, he still loves us and pursues us in countless ways.  Romans 5:8  "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  As the song below states, it's 'hard truth and ridiculous grace to be fully known and loved by You'.  We can never earn, deserve or repay that gift of grace, but we can accept, acknowledge, praise, give thanks, honor and surrender to our God Almighty.
       When we think of our sinful nature, it's hard to accept our transparency with God.  We can try to hide... our unspoken but bad thoughts, our wrong motives, our greed, our jealousy, our hearts that are prone to wander, and endless faults...but God desires to wash us as white as snow.  God knows us inside and out, yet still wants us to draw near to Him.  God wants the church to be loving, but also holy.  Sin can't be compromised with, but it can be forgiven.
       For all my friends, believers and non-believers, this next verse is my prayer for you today and always...
      Ephesians 3:16-19  " I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

      May you guard and protect your heart with the truth of Scripture from the world's culture of lies.. God loves you with all your flaws and seeks you to be His, through Jesus Christ.

Who Is Guiding You?

John 16:13-14   "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you."

       What does it mean to be 'filled by the Spirit' or to have 'the Spirit living within me'?  When a person gives their life over to God thru Jesus Christ and acknowledges Him as their Lord and Savior, then they are right then given the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is our inner guide to what God would have us follow in our journey, but we do not always listen and are deceived by our sinful nature.  The Holy Spirit's leading always aligns with Scripture and brings glory to Christ.
       John 15:26  “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me."
       "Jesus promised to give us an internal and ever-present Guide. Starting at the moment of salvation, everyone who trusts in the Savior is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who promises to lead believers into all the truth. Like a built-in compass, He will direct us exactly the right way, regardless of the choice. He never makes a mistake.

So you may be thinking, If He is living in me and never makes a wrong choice, why do I keep messing up? His leadership is always right, but our reception isn’t always clear. Yielding to the Lord is an essential part of receiving His direction. We cannot tolerate sin and go our own way in one area and expect to receive His guidance in another." [intouch.org] 

  John 14:15-17  “If you love me, keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."

Holy Spirit can/does: [intouch.org]

1.  The Holy Spirit illuminates God’s Word to our hearts and minds.
2. The Holy Spirit recognizes our emotional and mental state and can identify exactly where we are in our Christian walk. Therefore, He can reveal to our mind the passages that will encourage, challenge, or convict us as needed.
3. The Holy Spirit empowers individuals for specific tasks and equips them to accomplish it.
4. The Holy Spirit seals us in Christ—proof of the promise that we are forever in God’s presence.  Ephesians 1:13-14 " In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

       The world tells us to trust our gut feelings, but the Bible tells us to trust and follow the Holy Spirit as it is living inside of us, as believers.  The Spirit doesn't come and go based on our feelings, circumstances, or spiritual stability.  The Holy Spirit, once received, is a permanent advocate dwelling in you to guide you in truth of God's will.  

The Holy Spirit guides in:

1. Our friendships--1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."

2. Our priorities--Galatians 6:7-8  "Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.  Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit." 

3. The truths we dwell on-- Colossians 3:16  "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."

The Mercy of God

        What is the mercy of God?  It is God's divine favor on us, to not give us what we deserve.  We often take His mercies for granted; like beautiful weather, good health and life moments.  "There’s a limit to God’s mercy because it cannot contradict His other attributes—like holiness, righteousness, and justice. Sin must be punished in order for God to remain just. And without justice, mercy and forgiveness would be meaningless. This dilemma was the reason Jesus Christ came to earth to die: He satisfied God’s justice by bearing the penalty for our sins. Yet so many think lightly of divine kindness, tolerance, and patience; they fail to realize that these blessings should draw them to repentance. These people trample underfoot His mercy and continue on their merry way, oblivious to the fact that justice, not mercy, awaits them in eternity." [intouch.org]
        Romans 2:4-5  "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed."
         I read the following devotional by A.W. Tozer during my recent health issues.  It humbled me to remember all that God has blessed me with and my whole dependence on Him.  
         "The mercy of God is my life and my breath. I breathe it daily. Oh, the mercy of God, that God is compassionate, that He stoops to pity and have mercy upon His people! The mercy of God is more than a theological doctrine to me. It is more than something I believe in; it is something that I experience every day of my life. What I am today is because of His mercy. The thing I most delight in with God is the fact that He sympathizes with my grief. He knows the absolute depths of my sorrow, my agony and pain. I do not know how badly off I am because I cannot fully understand my grief or my sorrow. I feel the agony of my pain, however, when I come to God. I know He knows my pain in depth more than I will ever know. As much as I know myself, I do not deserve anything from God. All I deserve is hell. That is why when I come to the mercy of God as a deer panting after the cool water brooks, nothing slakes my spiritual thirst like a fresh dose of God’s mercy. Why restless, why cast down, my soul? Hope still, and thou shalt sing The praise of Him who is thy God, Thy health’s eternal spring. Amen. "     [Tozer, A.W.. My Daily Pursuit: Devotions for Every Day]
          Charles Spurgeon says "What a mercy it is that it is not your hold of Christ that saves you, but His hold of you."
          Can we not all trace the thread of mercy from God in our own lives?  Yes, the living grace of God at work and through us.  I know my own rebellious heart has been spared time after time and I am forever grateful for His patience with me to eventually come and ask for forgiveness.  "We are all jerks in need of God’s love. That’s why Jesus Christ came into this world. And to show people grace is to remember what God has done for us." [R. Warren]  Lamentations 3:22-23  "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." 


None of us would be where we are today without God's grace and mercy... give God the glory!