Words have power. Power to enlighten the mind. Power to touch the senses. Power to soothe the soul. Words that we use frequently tend to become bland from overuse... They lose some of their punch, because familiarity causes us ignore their real meaning. We sorta become mentally numb to their importance.
In an earlier post (September 27, 2009), I said:
The same mercy is offered to all...
Mercy and its companion word grace are two words that tend to become bland--especially for "maturing" Christians, who have moved beyond the need for milk (Hebrews 5:12--14).
While grace is similar to mercy in connotation--and by that I mean that they "feel" somewhat alike, as we absorb them from the printed page--the two words are not synonyms. If we were to place them on a family tree, Grace and Mercy would be sisters, yes. Identical twins? Never.
What does mercy mean to you? Is it kindness? Yes, in part. Is it forgiveness? Yes, in part.
Make no mistake. Mercy is not The Father ignoring the mud of our sins. He cannot ignore the mud, anymore than we can deny the mud. God is just; and His sense of justice demands that our sins--all of those splotches of unranked filth--be punished. Mercy is Jesus stepping up, on our behalf and taking the punishment that we have coming(Colossians 2:14).
The muck and the mire, the filth and the stench that we relish rolling in, all of it was poured over His head, as He hung on The Cross. It dripped from His chin. It oozed between His fingers. It filled His ears and coated His toes. Not one ounce or form of sin was spared Him. He bore it all, in fullest measure; and in doing so, He also took the full measure of our punishment (Isaiah 53:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Mercy does not give us a punishment that we do deserve.
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As for grace, in this context it isn't a synonym for "poise". Nor is it a mealtime prayer. A long-time family tradition in our home paints an accurate picture of grace. We give "just cuz I love ya" gifts.
No holiday has to be at hand. No occasion needed. In fact, the very best ones are off-the cuff and never pre-planned. We simply keep an eye out for small gifts that would bring a smile. You know the sort of gifts that scream out who they were meant to belong to and simply beg you to insure that they wind up in the right hands...
We get them when we see them, and we give them when we get them. No waiting. All-occasion paper, plain-jane bows, hand-written notes. Hidden in plain sight, and left without announcement for the unsuspecting recipient to stumble upon.
The price tag is always small, but the pleasure is always huge; and the facial expressions are always absolutely priceless! :D
God likes to give His children "just cuz I love ya" gifts too. Hold your arms and your heart open, and you'll be thoroughly surprised by the sheer weight of the gifts--drawn straight from Heaven's boundless stores--that He wants to shower you with. When we are receiving from Heaven's bounty, we are standing in the flow of His Grace (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Picture yourself. Like a kid at Christmas. Before the unwrapping begins, the presents are passed out. That massive stack in front of you--it is meant for you. Every box, every bag, every package--even the funny-shaped one at the back that must've been so much fun to wrap--each one has a nametag on it that bears your name. Each package is suited especially to you.
He doesn't wanna wait for a holiday. He needs no occasion to excuse gift-giving... He likes to suprise us; and our priceless facial expressions no doubt make Him smile (Ephesians 3:20).
Grace gives us favor (or blessings) that we don't deserve or expect.
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Mercy says, "Whew!"
Grace says, "Wow!"
1 comment:
Thanks for the reminder! As always you have such a way with words! And the pictures add so much to it!
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