5.)But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
- Psalm 5: 4,7
I read these verses in my quiet time this morning, intending to use this chapter only as a prayer. But, as I prayed these words, God used them for something else. At first I thought it was really random, that in the middle of this chapter that deals primarily with seeking God's guidance, there would be this big thing about how God hates wickedness. Then after reading verse 5, I realized that the point is not just how God hates wickedness, but it is really telling about His mercy!
How often do you think about His mercy? Now, you all are probably better than me at this, but I hardly ever think about it. Having lived my whole life in a Christian family, I have this sort of entitlement mindset, and I never really think about mercy. I never really take time to properly praise and worship Him for the things He has done, because it never really seems like that big of a deal to me. I'm kind of like the debtor that owed the least, in one of the parables that Jesus told: I'm not as grateful as I should be, because I don't have this horrible life of sin that He saved me from. Except this is an excuse, He deserves every bit of my praise as much as He deserves the former drug dealers, or the prostitutes, or the murder's. We are told to bring God sacrifices of praise, all of us. He doesn't tell the adulterers to bring more, or the good little church girls that they only need to bring so much. We are all told to bring Him praise, because no matter who we are, or what we have or have not done, we have all been saved from the same fate, by the same man, and the same means. And God calls it Mercy.
4 comments:
I have seen it so many times in our 10 years as youth pastor...teens who are raised in good Christian homes, they don't need to think about God's mercy. They know everything. They don't need to learn more about the Bible...etc. You are a breath of fresh air for this youth Pastor's wifes heart. Love you Lindsey!
That apathy is something I really have to fight against. But I am learning that the same things that have 'caused' it, like growing up in church and having a Christian family, are also really good to use in getting rid of it! Love you too Mrs. Snow!!!
Exactly! And to add to that,you (and I who was raised like you) are not an adulterer, drunk, etc. but that does not mean you were not breaking the 10 commandments and dishonoring God, or coming short of the glory of God. Even in the heart of a little girl in a Christian home, you had enough sin to damn you to hell for an eternity. Even in the parable, God wants us to see we are ALL the one forgiven most. It did not take Jesus less work to save you (from Hell and your sin)than it did the thief on the cross or Saul of Tarsus. This means we ALL have a tremendous responsability to praise him because of our experience of His mercy. Paul (my husband Paul) preaches the bigger you see your sin, the bigger you see the cross. In my experience however, it has been the more I study the cross, the bigger I see my sin! THAT is what makes me praise Him and what makes tears run down my face when I sing "At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light; And the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the day. Was it for crimes that I have done, He groaned upon the tree! Amazing pity, grace unknown and love beyond degree."
Thank you Onnie! I need to remember to keep the proper perspective and focus one what He did.
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