Have Mercy On Me, God

I could say this about myself…. “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

I, like David, have cried out to the Lord, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Psalm 51:1-2) He answered me. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) At times in my life I have hidden from God just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden because I was also filled with shame and embarrassment. I listened to my own heart, the harsh words of others and believed the lies that I wasn’t worthy of His love. Jesus Christ is perfect, holy and righteous and I am a sinner in desperate need of His forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. I had my eyes on myself instead of on Christ and what HE did for me (and you) on the cross.

David was a murderer and adulterer. Moses killed someone. Peter denied Jesus three times. Abraham didn’t trust God for a descendant. None of the disciples actually believed that Jesus would rise from the dead. That’s why they scattered like rats on a sinking ship after the crucifixion.

Jesus loves the unlovable, forgives the unforgivable, patiently waits for the prodigal to return home and restores the unrestorable. He is sinless, yet He loves sinners (“for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”), proving that love on the old rugged cross.

Your past mistakes don’t disqualify you from being used greatly by God. People can’t disqualify you either when God calls you to something. At the end of the day, their opinion doesn’t matter because His will trumps people’s opinions. God loves a good redemption story because He is a God of the unlikely. He is a God of Wonders and can take the mess you made and somehow make it into something beautiful.

It’s never too late to come home to Jesus.