MERCY was the word I chose for
2017. It was a year spent in the Word, looking at just how merciful my Lord and
Savior was and is and will always be. It
was a year of seeing that mercy is so much more than just withheld punishment,
although it does include that for sure. God’s mercy is so rich, so full of
love, undeserved love. It is so closely tied to grace that I can hardly speak
of His mercy without speaking of His grace. His compassion, His lovingkindness,
His forbearance toward mankind, once His enemies, is indescribable. Oh how He
loves us.
I enjoyed reading through the
entire Bible this year, a great deal aloud with my children (which was a HUGE
blessing), and page after page, I saw my merciful Savior. It truly is a story
about One God and His love for a people who do not deserve His favor, who fail
time and time again, but who He chooses to show mercy to time and time again,
who He lavishes with grace time and time again.
I thought this year was going to be
all about how I could be more merciful, and I definitely think that God is
showing me where I need more mercy, but it really wasn’t about me at all. It
was all about Him, about His mercy, about His story for all mankind, His desire
to show them mercy by the giving of the Son. As I reflect back on Christmas,
and I think forward towards Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, I am in awe of
my God, Who loves us enough to step down from the glory of Heaven to show us
mercy, that we might receive His grace, that we might believe, that we might receive
adoption as sons of God, that we might have eternal life in Him. (John 3:16,
John 6:38-40, Galatians 4:4-5) He did this while we were still sinners, still
enemies (Romans 5:8-10). By His great mercy, He reconciled us to Himself.
It has been many years since the
Lord made me His own, since I was born again, since I called upon the name of
the Lord and was saved, but as long as I walk upon this earth, I will daily
need His mercy, and praise God He provides. (Hebrews 4:6) I am so incredibly
thankful to have the very Word of God at my fingertips, to be able to freely
share the Word with my children, with other children as I serve at my church,
with women in my community, with friends, with the world. It is not only an
incredible privilege; it is my duty because of the mercy He has bestowed on me.
May I stay in a place of awe of the God Who loves us enough to give us His very
words for life. (John 6:68) Life does have an instruction book, and the Creator
of Life, full of mercy and grace gave it to us. We can know His will as we read
His Word.
2017 has been a good year of walking
with the Merciful One. I am still in great need of His lessons on mercy and
pray He continues to lead me to be merciful as He is merciful. (Luke 6:36) Now
on to 2018, thankful that I never walk alone, that I can be strong and courageous,
for my Savior will never fail me or forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6), and on to a
new word: NOURISH (Ephesians 4).
Mercy, it saved me.
Mercy sustains me.
Mercy’s a gift from my Savior.
May mercy be mine to share.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.” Psalm23:6
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