Amazing Grace!

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God.  What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant? For You know Your servant.  O Lord, for Your servant’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (I Chronicles 17:16-20)

In a previous blog, "Grace + Mercy = Love!", we explained that grace is when God does something for us we don't deserve (ie. Christ died for our sins),  and mercy is when God gives us something we don't deserve (ie. fill us with His Holy Spirit).  In the above scripture, King David explains grace so clearly, "according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness".  God's grace towards us is because of the great love He has for us, not because of what we feel towards Him.

The "prodigal son" parable demonstrates this so clearly.  The son came to his senses and returned home, but he didn't even have to meet the father "half way": “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said ... (Luke 15:20-24) All we have to do is come as we are, and God will come where we are and take us to the place He has prepared for us.  As King David said above, "You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come...  God has a desire to bless us in this life, but the things of this life are temporary. The blessings of eternity will last forever, so choose God through Jesus Christ today!

"Amazing Grace" by John Newton
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.