Grace and Mercy

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. 

 There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

 Hebrews 4:16 NLT

As I sit and allow myself to consider

 Two Basics, Two Truths, Two Realities;

 the meat and potatoes, the black and white, the whip cream and cherry on top

 of my Christian life, Grace and Mercy,

  I find myself having the great and often tendency

 to over analyze, complicate, over compensate, then completely over look and miss

 the simplicity of the

 PURPOSEFUL LOVE

 of Grace and Mercy.

The first definition of mercy I ever learned was: 

God's undeserved kindness. Age 12

The first definition of grace I ever learned was:

 Unmerited favor.  God's unmerited favor-Age 30

My interpretation that I carried through life was

 I didn't deserve kindness from God. It was undeserved.

 I would not receive kindness unless I did this, said that, or looked and acted that way.

  The way she did, the way that family did it. 

 Everything had merit and held merit. Favor, I knew how to become a favorite, and liked.

So with mercy thrown out the window, why even look at grace.

I have read, and have re-read the definition of grace. 

I have flipped it over like a pancake.

 I have laced it up, and tied it like my favorite tennis shoe

 and untied it and re laced it, to get a better grip on it.

  It is at those times when I just can't get it, let alone give it, is when I have come face to face with the fact
 I have not received it.
See I can't give something
 If I don't receive the gift, accept it.

I don't know how a purposeful God, a loving God, would want to give me something as grand as grace simply for the fact of "just because."

 He wants to be generous and helpful to me in my state of sin.

  In my state of hopelessness. 

 He wants to protect me with His divine love and power,

 Freely, Often, ALWAYS!

I DON'T GET IT! but I GET TO
"GET IT!"

 Given to me daily, if I choose to accept it. 

 There was a very high price paid for me to have it, to
 "GET IT!"

 Would I give my first born, only born Son for you?

 I'm sorry to say that I couldn't. 

 I don't even want to extend any amount of grace 

when you've upset me, made me angry, or offended me. 

 You hurt me. So why, why would I give you grace?

Can't you see I'm a sinner through and through, and I have to return to these basics, daily.

  And when I am not able to give you grace,
 I know that is when I have to put it all into perspective,

 and drop to my knees.

 Christ did it for me.

 I need to receive Him again.

 Surrender, be stripped, and bare and receive His grace yet one more time.

 I simply can not give unless I receive.

And then to give that grace in a merciful way.

  Mercy that's the sprinkles on the whipped cream with the cherry on top.

Mercy that's me being compassionate towards you in your sitiuation in your time of need.
  See because your time of need is going to come at a different time then mine,
and I need to be there for you in a way that you need at that time.
 That's what Christ does for me.
 He's willing and waiting and able and capable and compassionate.

Merciful!

So run fearlessly and un abandoned

 to His strong and mighty throne 

of power and grace 

so that He may help you in your time of need.

  For me my need is daily. Every second, every minute of every hour.

I love only because He loved me first. 1 John 4:19

Know that YOU are in my thoughts and my prayers today, and that I love YOU!