It's God's Goodness and Mercy, Not Ours

It's not unusual for God's people to develop an attitude of superiority even as they realize that all they can be and do is attributed to God's generosity and kindness. Today we say people have an “attitude” when they act haughty, arrogant, or superior. Paralleling this attitude is a diminished maturity that may be hidden and hard to detect because it is camouflaged by this attitude of superiority.

In the book of Judges, Samson demonstrated immaturity in judgment by naively trusting his new wife with the answer to his riddle. Immaturity, greed and fear turned a wedding festival into betrayal and chaos. Samson's riddle appeared innocent, but his ulterior motives produced humiliation and anger.

Fearing for the lives of herself and her parents, Samson's bride gave the answer to the riddle to the young men attending their wedding. For Samson, her betrayal ended the marriage. So how should God respond when we permit passion and impulses to detract us from his plan and calling? Have you suffered great consequences while still believing God will forgive you?  

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For we ourselves were once...slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us.

~Titus 3:3-4 Good News Bible

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
~Psalm 23:6 King James Bible

Building Bridges

What do you visualize when you hear the word bridge? Bridges go back in history thousands of years. the Romans and Greeks were great designers and engineers in bridge construction. Some of those structures are still standing and daily serve the public. Bridges are such a part of our everyday life, we rarely give them consideration. 

Have you ever thought of love being a bridge that connects one person to another? Love never gives up when hard, difficult times come to visit. Love keeps believing when all systems seem to fail, when a chasm is so deep and wide no human endeavor appears creative enough to bridge the gap. Yet love will find a way when everything else fails.

As a young child, I memorized a three-word verse from the Bible, “God is love.” When I have sinned, God’s love serves as a bridge to a clear conscience and a clean heart. I realize I must choose to walk across that bridge to receive God’s forgiveness. Even then, the Spirit of the living God prompts and nudges me onward to begin the crossing.