How merciful God is. He could look at our behavior and
condemn us. He could read our mind and
reject us. He could exact a thousand different punishments for all that we have
done, but instead He has chosen to see us through the eyes of His unfailing
love.
It is so hard to imagine what that really means. It is so
foreign to the way we operate. We hold grudges, seek revenge, or at least try
to get even. But not God. He does not give up on us. He sees us desperately in
need of His grace. And even when we are
unlovely, thoroughly lost because of our willful disobedience, He shows us the
way back.
What makes this so tragic is that we don’t really believe
it. We still think we need to wear the mask of our false self. You know, the self that thinks it earns God’s approval. the self that tries to please God through vain
attempts at righteousness.
Today throw the mask away. You don’t need it. God sees you
through His unfailing love, and He loves
what He sees. As we go forth in the New Year, commit to accepting His love and let Him
direct your path.
Lamentations 3:22-24
The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies, we have been kept from complete
destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The
LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" (NSAB)
1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In
his great mercy, he has given us new
birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead. (NIV)
Psalm 25:7-8
“Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you
are merciful, O LORD. The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the
proper path to those who go astray.” (NLT)
