RICH IN MERCY AND GRACE
Opening Worship: “Amazing Grace” (Chris Tomlin) https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVxeO1egZsU
“Once you were under God’s curse, doomed forever for your sins. You went along with the crowd and were just like all the others, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air, who is at work right now in the hearts of those who are against the Lord. All of us used to be just as they are, our lives expressing the evil within us, doing every wicked thing that our passions or our evil thoughts might lead us into. We started out bad, being born with evil natures, and were under God’s anger just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead — only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved.” — Ephesians 2:1-5 (Living Bible)
God, being rich in mercy, poured out His compassion and forgiveness toward you, who did not deserve it. One of the names for God is Elohim Chaseddi, which means “The God of My Mercy” or
“My God in His Lovingkindness Will Meet You.”
God’s mercy is His tenderhearted, loving compassion for His people. It is His tenderness of heart toward the needy. If grace contemplates humans as sinful, guilty and condemned, mercy sees them as miserable and needy. — Millard Erickson
Prayer Prompt: Pray Ephesians 2:1-5 aloud and reflect on the richness of God’s mercy. Praise the Lord for His great mercies that are made fresh and new each day. Reflect on the benefits of His mercy for your life. In His mercy, you have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through Him you have also obtained access to God and can approach the throne of grace with confidence.
Additional Scripture: Lamentations 3:22-23, Hebrews 4:14-16
Journal: Take a few moments to reflect on and note what God is showing you through His Word about Himself and how it applies to you.