More Than Mercy
Well now, friend, it’s so good see you comin’’ up these ol’ front porch steps like you’re followin’ the trail of somethin’ you’ve been searchin’ for today. Go on and settle yourself right here where the boards on this here swing creak like they’re tryin’ to say welcome. The Lord has a word today that’s plum sweeter than a fresh batch of peach preserves coolin’ on a windowsill. The breeze is driftin’ through these hickory branches over here like it’s carryin’ secrets from every house in the county, and a nosy lil’ ol’ chipmunk is perched on the rail lookin’ at you like it’s takin’ notes on human behavior. Meanwhile, a round‑bellied lil’ gopher is waddlin’ near the shed actin’ like it’s gonna start a new in-ground tunnel right over by the fence, and a wide-eyed ol’ hoot owl keeps peekin’ from the rafters like it’s waitin’ for its cue to git to hootin’ it’s song. Watchin’ that critter farm reserve with a few outsiders sneakin’ in reminds me of Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”
Grace is God’s joy poured out on us, undeserved and overflowin’. It’s real love at work, a gift that arrives not because we earned it but because it delights Him to give it. Romans 11:5-6 says that grace cannot be based on works or it would no longer be grace. That there means every good thing we receive from God springs from His kindness, not our performance.
To the unbeliever, grace is unmerited favor that saves. To the believer, grace becomes enablin’ power. Ephesians 2:5-9 says we were made alive with Christ, raised with Him, and seated with Him, all so God could show the incomparable riches of His grace .Grace empowers us to become who God says we are, do what He says we can do, and have what He says we have.
Second Timothy 1:9 says, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace.” That plum means that grace is not just rescue. It is calling. It is transformation. It’s the exchanged life where Christ takes our place and we walk in His.
Father, thank You for the grace that saves, strengthens, and transforms. Help me live in the power of Your kindness and walk worthy of the gift You have given. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, as you leave this porch and walk back into the rhythm of your day, let this truth rest on you like the cool shade from a tall oak on a hot afternoon. Grace ain’t no drizzle. It’s a real downpour. When you let it soak into your soul, it changes the way you walk. And just like a gentle stream carves its way through stubborn rock, God’s grace will carve a new path through your life until His goodness becomes the story you live. Now go on, friend. You gotta keep right on mindin’ all them onery critters out there, watchin’ your every step, and walkin’ in the good grace that was poured out just for you.
With joy,
Gwen
