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We should never take lightly the cost of our salvation. God in His infinite
mercy saw our need for a Savior before the foundation of the world and
provided for us His only Begotten Son to take upon Himself our sins and die
in our stead. We deserved judgment for all of our many shortfalls, but
God's grace and mercy reached from the heights of heaven and came to the
Earth to redeem the unredeemable and forgive the unforgivable. We have
much to be thankful for because without the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ we would all be doomed and justifiably so to an eternal punishment
in hell. Thankfully, that is no longer the case because we have the Lamb
of God as our Savior who took away the sins of the world. Never forget at
what a great cost your salvation comes. Give thanks to God and let Him
know that you do appreciate all that God has given to you. (John 1:29-36)
I hope this message inspires and challenges your heart to see that God is
gracious and merciful to His creation, not imputing their sins against
them, but rather forgiving and cleansing them of all their unrighteousness.
THE MIRIAM PARABLE
Once there was a peasant girl named Miriam who lived in a small village.
Her widowed mother had spent much time instructing the girl about the
proper way to behave and taught Miriam right from wrong.
The summer of her twelfth year, Miriam's family became quite destitute. A
region-wide drought caused the family's garden plot to wilt, then die.
There would be no vegetables to put up and savored through the cold months
ahead. Food became very difficult to find.
At first, Miriam missed the taste of fresh corn and carrots. Then she
craved them. Each day Miriam had to venture further from home to find water
for her family's needs and every day she desired what she had always taken
for granted. Then the day came when Miriam discovered an artesian well.
Water gushed forth providing fresh, clean, cold water from deep under the
ground.
She followed the stream as it flowed from the well and discovered a
beautiful garden filled with sweet corn, potatoes, carrots and cabbage and
a generous variety of vegetables more numerous than she had ever seen. She
could almost taste a fresh pot of homemade stew made from the abundance of
these beautiful plants. The longer she looked at the garden, the more she
desired the crops.
After entertaining the idea for far too long, Miriam hurriedly loaded her
apron with as many vegetables as she could carry and then she returned the
way she came, glancing furtively behind her, knowing she had stolen -
knowing that what she had done was wrong.
“Where did you get those vegetables?” A man's voice startled Miriam.
“I uh,” she stammered, “I found them.”
“In the middle of a drought?” The man queried. “I think not,” he challenged
gently.
Miriam wrestled with defiance, then anger, followed by a rather feeble
attempt at justifying her act of thievery. In the end she could do no less
than admit that she had indeed stolen the garden produce.
“I knew that you took my vegetables,” the man stated.
“Your vegetables,” Miriam blustered.
“`Tis true. I have worked hard all summer growing these crops and I had
grand plans for them,” the man added significantly.
“I am so ashamed,” Miriam replied bowing her head.
The man was warmed by Miriam's act of contrition. “I am willing to extend
to you either mercy or grace. Which is your desire?” The man asked.
“Are they not the same thing, sir?” Miriam asked.
“Indeed not, my lady,” the man replied.
“Then please explain what mercy provides?” she asked.
“If I were to grant mercy, you would be completely forgiven for taking my
vegetables,” the man replied.
“Then this is what I most desire,” the young girl said relieved.
“Perhaps this is true, yet you will hear the matter of grace,” the man
insisted, “Should I extend grace, you would be invited to come and gather
any vegetables from my garden that you like at any time you like. It would
be as if you were a member of my family with all the rights of a daughter.”
Miriam marveled at the gifts offered to her. She knew that she did not
deserve the man's kindness and yet she longed in equal measure for both
mercy and grace.
“Sir, I do not deserve either mercy or grace. For I deserve a punishment
and am in no way deserving of the rights of a family member. Still, I could
not leave with a pure heart without an equal measure of both,” Miriam said
with a tear gleaming in her eye.
The man smiled broadly and replied, “My dear child, you shall indeed have
both - Mercy and Grace. For in my mercy I will not exact a punishment that
is justly deserved and in my grace I will give to you what can never be earned.”
By Glenn A. Hascall
Read and meditate on these scriptures:
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
1 Peter 1:18-21 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these
last times for you, Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from
the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”
Romans 8:31-34 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us,
who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up
for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that
justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the Right Hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us.”
All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.
Today’s Selected Poem: HAVE FAITH IN GOD
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem97.htm
Today’s Selected Testimony: HE CAME TO ME IN THE NIGHT
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony64.htm
In Christ’s Service,
Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry |
