One of my favorite worship songs is a hymn written in 1757 called “Come Thou Fount.”
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise his Name, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
The lyrics paint a beautiful portrait of God’s mercy as streams of abundant water that never cease to flow. Earlier this week we stood on the outskirts of a Holy God, El Hakkodosh, who is so pure that we are stricken with the overwhelming need to simply fall face down before Him in ruins like a dead man, instantly made aware of the streams of sin that flows within us.
But God.
“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.” (Ephesians 2:4-5a)
In His mercy, Holy God spared us from what we deserved.
In His mercy, Holy God transferred our punishment and put it on His perfect Son.
In His mercy, Jesus died instead of me.
God unlocked the chains of sin that hold us captive.
Mercy set us free.
Grace gave us life. Abundant life.
God is Rachum Ve-Chanum (rakh-oom' ve-khan·nün), Merciful and Gracious.
As Moses hid in the cleft of a rock, God proclaimed His name.
“Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” Exodus 34:5-7
The first thing God chose to proclaim about himself is His compassion and mercy on His people. Yet, He doesn’t stop there. He lavishes us abundantly.
We look at the first part of Ephesians 2:5, but the verse goes on to say it is the grace that saves us and seats us with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realms.
If your socks are not knocked off by that statement, then please READ IT AGAIN!
We are SEATED WITH JESUS CHRIST!
Seated at the right hand of the Father. Robed in righteousness of Christ!
Mercy sweetens the grandeur of the power we looked at last week. His divine strength will not crush us, but He sits us with His son and our inheritance knows no bounds!
When it seems life plans change and we are not seated where we think we should be, at the head of the class, at the top of the corporate ladder, beside someone to love, on the balcony of our mansions overlooking the ocean, we know that God has “blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)
FATHER OF MERCY
What does 2 Corinthians 1:3 tell us about God?
The word mercy in Hebrew and Greek paints a vivid portrait of the heart of mercy. The word comes from a root that means, “to bend, to be soft, moved, affected.” Another is translated from the “womb” or “bowel” portraying a deep powerful stirring from within. Yet another word refers to the deep love of a superior to an inferior. That is a deep love of God toward us, His creation.
Read Nehemiah 9:31. The essence of mercy is the compassionate disposition to forgive the offender, to spare their punishment and help restore them to a rightful position.
Psalm 145:9 tells us that the LORD is good to, and his mercy is over all that He has made.
May His mercy take resident in our beings, knowing that without Him we are lifeless and disparaging.
Mercy is being spared from what is deserved.
Grace is being gifted with good that is undeserved.
GIVER OF GRACE UPON GRACE
Grace is drenched in delight. It is the infinite pleasure and love of God that we experience His gifts toward us, “the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7. God’s heart is generous and a fountain of every blessing flows from His chambers.
These past two weeks our family experienced an abundance of grace and I almost feel overwhelmed.
The mailman delivered a gift from the Lord in the exact amount we were deficient.
Our refrigerator and freezer is full because of the love from a sister in the Lord.
Dear friends of ours gave a bike the day after my husband’s was stolen.
Isabella’s basketball was paid for on a scholarship we never requested.
My husband traveled to the men’s retreat on the gift of a brother in the Lord.
Restored in Christ, we stood beside dear friends to speak on marriage, even though ours almost unraveled.
My daughter’s birthday party is made possible from family who give because God provides.
A pair of beautiful Moroccan lanterns sits in our patio as a gift from someone dear to my heart.
I am not rich in this world, but I have every earthly need and I have been given a wealth of spiritual blessings! I am the daughter of a King, the King of all Kings. And you are, too!
My prayer is to believe God at His Word, that I am indeed given gift upon gift, grace upon grace. May an attitude of thanksgiving grace every aspect of my life.
Weak, feeble, timid prayers have no place in the Holy of Holies! Remember who you are in Christ and “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Perhaps you are in need of grace and mercy. Approach His throne room. As you bend your knees, He bends His heart toward you.
RENOWN is a 4-week Bible study series. View an overview of weekly lessons, being week 1 or subscribe now to receive via email or rss feeder.
