Our community group met last night. If you don’t have one, you need to get in one. It’s a great way to do life with other people. We got to talking about a series we are doing at Access Church called “Faith, Hope and Luck”. The discussion last night focused on… you guessed it… who makes the best sub sandwiches in town. While we did creep into that subject a bit towards the end (and the near unanimous choice was Angie’s Subs), we also talked about grace and mercy.
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need
I have always had a perception of grace as a fluid kind of thing. Something that searches me out and seeks to fill all of the imperfections, cracks and “craggles”. It runs deep. It needs to. Something that deliberately and intentionally brings me closer and closer to perfection in Christ. “Spackle for the soul” if you will. That’s not trademarked, but I’m thinking about it.
I always think of mercy as the submission game you played with (hopefully) someone weaker than you where you clasp hands and try to remove each other’s hands from your respective arms until someone screams, “MERCY!”
Some people refer to grace as getting what you don’t deserve and mercy as not getting what you deserve. I think both are good definitions. Especially when taken into the context of Heb. 4:16 — we can boldly approach God because of His promises to us. Not always a promise to deliver us from something, and yet always a promise to deliver us through something.
What are some ways you have been shown grace and mercy?
What are some ways you have shown others grace and mercy?
When did God deliver you through something and not from something?
Chew on that for awhile…
Thoughts?
-Nathan
