OCTOBER 9th

Do you see God as a giant judge watching with His fly-swatter handy so that He can smack you with it as soon as you mess up? We all need a healthy fear of God (respect, reverence, awe, worship, adoration, fear of being separated from Him) so that we avoid sin and don’t abuse grace. BUT, we need to realize that His GOAL and desire for us is salvation and grace. That is WHY He came. Sometimes we forget that. The world definitely doesn’t realize it.

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

He came to save us. He came to give us full life!

Isaiah 30:18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

He LONGS to be gracious to us!

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

He delights to show us mercy.

When you woke up this morning, your Heavenly Father was already planning on showing you mercy, He was already actively arranging ways to show you mercy today. His GOAL for you is merciful rescue.

Ephesians 2:4-10 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

His plan for you today is to extend to you grace and mercy and plan good things for you to do for Him!

Luke 1:50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

There is that phrase again…those who fear Him…let’s ask Him to give us that healthy fear all the while keeping His desire for mercy on our minds as well!

Matthew 9:13 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Lord, thank you for loving me so much! Thank you that your whole goal is to save and rescue me! Help me to have a healthy fear balanced with mercy and grace, wrapped up in your perfect love! Help me to be an example of that to others. Help me to remember that you delight to show me mercy. Help me to walk in your plan for me.