Mercy And Grace Takes Us From Being Lost To Getting Back To God

Mercy is different from grace. Mercy is God withholding His judgements on us - NOT giving us what we do deserve. Grace is God giving us what we don't deserve - His gifts, love and so much more of His character - freely.

We see both of these in the story of the prodigal son. Eventually the son in despair and desperation, went home expecting humiliation, judgement, anger, lecturering - "I told you so...". 

Instead, the father had been looking for him every day to return. When he saw him coming grace chased him down to embrace him in his sinful condition. He released his father's love upon him, took him home to a massive banquest and said "My son was dead and now he is alive!"

Can you imagine this is a very small part of how God really treats us when we are lost? The Father sent Jesus into the pigsty of planet earth to find us, forgive us, redeem us and then carry us like a lost sheep to our home. This is compassion. This is mercy. And then the grace explodes over us under the banner of His love.

And I know I have failed God on this mercy road many a time, but God is teaching me His better way.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:36 (NIV)