I have no resume to hold before you, no track record of accomplishments, no letters of commendation, no rights of birth or ethnicity. I have nothing that would place you in my debt, nothing that could curry your favor, nothing that would obligate you. I wish unbridled zeal would commend me to you. I wish unbroken obedience would draw your attention. I wish model wisdom and model love would convince you that I’m worthy. But I have none of these things to offer you. I stand before you with shoulders bent and hands that are empty. I approach you with no argument in my mind or words to offer in my defense. I stand before you naked and undeserving, broken and weak. I am quite aware of the duplicity of my heart, the evil of my choices, and the failure of my behavior, but I am not afraid because I stand before you with one argument, with one plea. This argument is enough. This probably is sufficient. This argument is the only thing that could ever give me courage, rest, and sturdy hope. So I come before you with this plea – your mercy. Your mercy is my rest. Your mercy is my hope. Your mercy makes me bold. Your mercy is all I need. Your mercy tells me you will hear. Your mercy tells me you will act. Your mercy tells me you will forgive. Your mercy tells me you will Restore. Your mercy tells me you will strengthen. Your mercy is my welcome, plea, and rescue. I rest in this one thing: you are mercy and you will answer.
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The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. ( Ps. 145:9)
Recall the ways God has been merciful to you in the past.
Spend some time in prayer, thanking God for his past mercies and asking for his grace and in current situations.
For further study and encouragement, read Titus 3:3-7.
