Is there anybody here this morning that just needs grace? Wait - I just felt that gust of wind as all our hands went up in the air simultaneously! For some of us, we think grace (mercy) is probably the thing we need most, but have no idea how much those around us also need that same grace. We all have moments when mercy is the furthest thing from our minds when it comes to what the 'other person' deserves (but remember that grace is really undeserved favor). If we were totally honest today, there are times when we neither want to extend mercy to another, nor are we actively seeking it from another! We just want to get "even" and hope no one notices our silliness (or shall I say 'foolishness'). I am so glad we don't serve a God who looks for opportunities to "get even" with us! Consider this for a moment. Just how much grace do we really need? A whole lot and then some more (oh yeah....and some more)!
God is all mercy and grace—not quick to anger, is rich in love. God is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace. (Psalm 145:8-9)
There is only one thing to say to this: WOW! All God does is "suffused" with grace. I had to look that one up because it isn't a common word in my vocabulary and I found it means "overspread with" grace. Think of a big stack of pancakes, just off the griddle, piled high upon your plate. The butter dripping down the sides, the rich maple syrup flowing down in rivulets, enveloping the entire stack in luscious richness and radiant beauty. Now, that is a probably a silly picture of God's grace, but I think that picture helps us understand what it means to be 'suffused with grace'!
Don't miss the truth in the first verse - He is ALL mercy and grace. There is not just a tiny part of his being that is "graceful" or "merciful". He is totally and thoroughly (completely, wholly) mercy and grace. Some may want to question this with something form of questioning such as, "Then why do some die without being saved?" Good question, but it never negates the fact of God being ALL mercy and grace - the individual just didn't embrace that grace. Even the time he allowed the person, the extension of his grace and mercy time and time again, all point to his being ALL mercy and grace.
Did you realize that even in our 'understanding' struggle, God (who is ALL mercy and grace) points us toward the object of our faith each and every time - Jesus! We all have the opportunity to embrace our flaws/imperfections/problems, in turn embracing more and more of Jesus each day. Sometimes, we don't see God's grace and mercy in the same manner he does. We "expect" God's mercy to look one way - we want it to fit our picture of mercy. In looking back in my life, I can honestly say God's mercy and grace have seldom appeared in the same way I imagined they would! But...it never negates the fact God is ALL mercy and grace. Even in sickness, certainly in loneliness, abundantly in need, and magnificently in deliverance!
God is good to one and all. Even the time we are granted is a gift of his goodness. Each breath we take is another opportunity to experience his goodness - in his grace and his mercy. Never discount God! He is ALL mercy and grace! I am listening to the song, "Indescribable", sung by Chris Tomlin. The words echo, "Indescribable! Uncontainable! All powerful! Untameable! You are amazing God!" This indeed describes our God - 'suffusing all things' with his grace and mercy! Just sayin!
God is all mercy and grace—not quick to anger, is rich in love. God is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace. (Psalm 145:8-9)
There is only one thing to say to this: WOW! All God does is "suffused" with grace. I had to look that one up because it isn't a common word in my vocabulary and I found it means "overspread with" grace. Think of a big stack of pancakes, just off the griddle, piled high upon your plate. The butter dripping down the sides, the rich maple syrup flowing down in rivulets, enveloping the entire stack in luscious richness and radiant beauty. Now, that is a probably a silly picture of God's grace, but I think that picture helps us understand what it means to be 'suffused with grace'!
Don't miss the truth in the first verse - He is ALL mercy and grace. There is not just a tiny part of his being that is "graceful" or "merciful". He is totally and thoroughly (completely, wholly) mercy and grace. Some may want to question this with something form of questioning such as, "Then why do some die without being saved?" Good question, but it never negates the fact of God being ALL mercy and grace - the individual just didn't embrace that grace. Even the time he allowed the person, the extension of his grace and mercy time and time again, all point to his being ALL mercy and grace.
Did you realize that even in our 'understanding' struggle, God (who is ALL mercy and grace) points us toward the object of our faith each and every time - Jesus! We all have the opportunity to embrace our flaws/imperfections/problems, in turn embracing more and more of Jesus each day. Sometimes, we don't see God's grace and mercy in the same manner he does. We "expect" God's mercy to look one way - we want it to fit our picture of mercy. In looking back in my life, I can honestly say God's mercy and grace have seldom appeared in the same way I imagined they would! But...it never negates the fact God is ALL mercy and grace. Even in sickness, certainly in loneliness, abundantly in need, and magnificently in deliverance!
God is good to one and all. Even the time we are granted is a gift of his goodness. Each breath we take is another opportunity to experience his goodness - in his grace and his mercy. Never discount God! He is ALL mercy and grace! I am listening to the song, "Indescribable", sung by Chris Tomlin. The words echo, "Indescribable! Uncontainable! All powerful! Untameable! You are amazing God!" This indeed describes our God - 'suffusing all things' with his grace and mercy! Just sayin!
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