Grace and Mercy

Grace and mercy have really been on my mind these last couple of days. When I stop and look back on my life I can see so many times when grace was extended to me. There were so many instances when God showed me his mercy. Why? Why me? I can see in the lives of others that they have suffered much more for their bad decisions that I have. Why? Why not me?

These are unanswerable, rhetorical questions of course. Who can know the mind of God? I just know that it is what it is. For some reason God said "I have other plans for your life, I am not going to let you screw it up irreparably". That is what grace and mercy are, after all, giving me something I don't deserve. A free gift.

What good does it do to go through hard times and to be given grace if we don't use our life for his purpose? I can see that I can use my life as a testimony to him. This is my desire - to be used by him. In whatever way he chooses to use me. Be it great or small I am ready for God to challenge me to move forward into the ministry he has chosen for me.

To do this I must lay it all down and empty myself so that he can fill me with his power. This song (click on it, it's great) really speaks the words that I am offering to the Lord. He extended the grace and showed me mercy, now it is time for me to use my life for his glory.
My Desire by Jeremy Camp

Psalm 51:1-2:
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2:
1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Romans 3:21-24:
21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.