Why does God have mercy on us?

Why does God have mercy on us? Because he loves us? Because he created us? Because he wants to save us? How about this reason in Paul's letter to Timothy, from I Timothy 1:15-16:

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ came into the world to save sinners" - and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life."

Interesting thought for today.

Bitter fruit

I came across this verse in Proverbs 1:30-31 the other day. In this passage, Wisdom is crying out to the people in the streets, venting that they don't heed her correction.

"They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes."

I thought the New Living's use of "bitter fruit" was a very interesting and accurate description of those negative, life-changing consequences that come from making unwise, ungodly decisions. It's hard to watch people you care about having to eat the bitter fruit of their decisions and choking on their own schemes. What a helpless feeling not to be able to "do" anything. Once you have stated your position on the issue, what more can you do? Getting preachy will only drive a wedge. Ultimately, we have to realize we are not in control of anything and that praying for God to work in their life is the best thing we can do.

Contrast that to the fruit in Galatians 5:22-23:

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"

Fascinating list

I came across this list in an article today: Six personality traits to admire and acquire.

1. Selflessness
2. Tolerance
3. Genuineness
4. Sensitivity
5. Integrity
6. Humility

I thought the list was so interesting, coming from a secular article. The explanation of each characteristic is almost as good as the list itself and worth reading, so click on the link above.

True Worship

In his book, Worship, the Way it was Meant to Be, Dr. Robert Wetmore examines principles found in scripture starting in the book of Genesis. First, God created Adam and Eve so that they could know Him and love Him and have a love relationship with Him, out of which flows worship. We can't worship God unless we have a growing relationship with Him. (Seems obvious, but this really is the foundation of worship).

Second, we need to open up to God and learn to trust Him. This quote made me think: "Faith is not simply the fact that we believe something to be so. Faith is believing something enough to step out in action because of it." In our worship, we step out in faith, trusting what God has revealed about Himself.

Third, when we sin, it creats a barrier between us and God, making true worship impossible. When people desire to worship God but refuse to face their unconfessed sin, they create an impossible situation. Sin makes us want to hide from God, like Adam and Eve hid from Him. Wetmore says that so called "worship wars" are not about the music. They are about sin. And, always a good reminder, Satan and his demons are actively working to destroy true worship, like they did with Adam and Eve.

Next, he discusses why God accepted Abel's gift and not Cain's. Wetmore asserts that it had nothing to do with the grain vs. animal sacrifice as commonly taught. The Hebrew word for this type of offering was minhah, which is similar to the concept of our engagement ring today. I'm sure many girls have accepted a proposal from a man who offered a so-so ring, and denied a marriage request from a man with a great ring. Obviously, it's not about the ring. The girls were accepting or rejecting the man himself. In presenting their offerings, Cain and Abel were presenting themselves to God. So why did God reject Cain's offering and, in turn, reject Cain? Because of Cain's reaction to God's rejecting his offering, we can assume that he had an evil heart. The Hebrew language suggests that he habitually sinned. Cain did not try to make his relationship with God right. Instead he murdered his brother, Abel. "God does not look at the outward gift, but instead looks at the heart of the giver."

To sum up this section, I love this quote from the book: "Worship is not about singing, praying, or even about experiencing God's presence. We worship to remind ourselves and show God what we really want in our relationship with Him. We present ourselves along with our worship, telling God, 'You are much greater than I, Lord. I ask that You make me Your humble servant. Accept this offer of myself to You in this gift I am presenting.'"

Some thoughts to ponder for today...