Mercy and Grace

Looking at this little baby, you can’t help to stop and think what he’s about to go through. He looks so healthy and content, but the doctors tell us he is not. His heart has not completely formed so he will soon begin a series of surgeries. It doesn’t seem fair. —- We know that God could have completely knit his heart up in the womb. Yet, he didn’t. God says in the Bible, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and have mercy on whom I will have mercy.” Some seem to have it worse and some seem to have it better according to the perception of men.—- Rather than question (which I don’t) or delve into the Sovereignty of God (which is not my purpose here), I thought about how mercy and grace are doled out in the first place. It is only God who can really offer mercy and grace. He issues mercy daily to a people who do not deserve it. And he gives out grace abundantly to a people who have not earned it.—- Sometimes we say that people are merciful, but they cannot be unless God was already merciful to them. And when it comes to grace, no one can offer grace to another unless it has first been given to them. —- I guess what I am trying to say, as I look at this little one, there is no grace apart from what the God of the Universe grants to us. I am thankful that we are saved by grace through faith. —- It hurts to know that this fresh little baby is about to be cut on. Thankfully, our trust is in the God who knew all about this before it even happened, and he is full of mercy and grace.