We often tell our children, “Remember who you are and Whose you are.” When we forget who we are, we make mistakes, and we lose our way. That’s exactly what happened with many of the big names in the Bible. Think of Abraham, Jacob, and David. They each had seasons of forgetting who they were and Whose they were. They all made mistakes. But even in those seasons of their spiritual journeys, God was with them. God covered their mistakes and brought them back on the right path.
God gave them not only mercy, but also grace.
Mercy is not getting what we deserve.
Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.
I remember teaching this concept to my daughter when she was about ten years old. She had done something that merited punishment. I sent her to her room and she waited, with dread, I am sure, for me to come to give her punishment. However, on this occasion, I came up with candy in my pocket.
I said, “Katie, what you did was wrong and deserves a big punishment.” Big tears of dread filled her eyes. “But,” I continued, “today I want to teach you about mercy and grace. So, to demonstrate mercy, I have decided not to punish you. Mercy means not getting what we deserve.”
She looked surprised and very relieved. And then I continued, “And Katie, I want to teach you about grace, too. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.” And with that, I pulled out the candy from my pocket and gave it to her. I went on to explain how God offers us mercy and grace when we truly repent and are ready to follow Him.
Accept God’s grace and mercy today, then share it with someone else.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8
