4-13-2024

Good Morning All,

                  Daniel 9:9; “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him.”

      There was once a class of school children who loved to go outside and have recess. Their teacher was very generous. If the class had been good and finished their work, the teacher would let them go outside for a few extra minutes. Usually, the class was very good. They always finished their homework, always tried to be good and always looked forward to their reward. But one day the class was a bit unruly. Paper airplanes were flying. Hair was being pulled. Talking was nonstop, and homework was simply not getting done.

    All of a sudden, the teacher called everyone to attention and said, “Time to go out.” All of a sudden, the students’ eyes fixed on their teacher, their mouths dropped a bit, and almost in unison said, “But why? We don’t deserve to go out. We’ve been terrible. We haven’t listened. We haven’t finished our homework. We don’t deserve to go out.” “I know,” said the teacher, “but I want to show you that sometimes in this world things are given to you even when you don’t deserve them. Sometimes things are given to us especially when we haven’t earned them.” And with that, the students slowly stood up and walked outside, still a bit confused and unsure about the new world they had just stepped into. For the first time, some of these students experienced what grace, what a gift, truly was. They were given something that wasn’t earned or deserved.

    This is the story of our life.  If we received what we deserved, we would die.  We would suffer horribly for all that we have done.  We never really behave well enough to deserve any blessings.  We are always misbehaving, even worse than the children in the story.  Ours are not childhood inappropriateness; ours are acts of anger, hatred, selfishness, and greed.  Our actions destroy life.

    Yet, incredibly, God has chosen to forgive you.  His love for you surpasses all else.  He made a way for our salvation.  All of our punishment was poured out upon Jesus; because of this, when God looks at us, he only sees the righteousness of Jesus.  Because of this, he pours his love out upon us.  We receive the good things which we do not deserve; we receive the wonderful blessings of salvation, the comfort of today, the healing of now, the restoration which we seek and need.  We receive, undeserved as they are, all these gifts and more from God because of his love, because of his nature.  God blesses us every day even though we do not deserve it.

Father of all mercy, in you we have eternal hope.  We go through life never deserving the wonderful gifts and blessings which you pour out upon us.  We give you thanks for these and all the love that you graciously give us.  Move us to share this love with those around us.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret