exceeding mercy

I was thinking the other day about how growing up, we could always run to mom or dad and present them our concerns and our accomplishments. We were not afraid to run to them to ask for help, to tell them our latest joy, or to even present them a problem.  My own kids call out for mom or dad when they have trouble or when they are excited. When that phone rings and it is my kid, I will not hesitate to answer that phone. I want to know what they need. I want to rush to help or to rejoice about whatever they are doing. I want to do for them sometimes more than they expect, not because they worked and earned it, because they are mine and I love them. We have that same effect on our heavenly Father. He loves us even more than the best parent. He is a God of love and the One who extended grace, unmerited favor to a broken people. He sent his son to die for our sins. He reached out to a fallen world to not only give salvation, but to extend grace beyond what we could ask or think.

We all have sinned and have a great need of a Savior. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians about the great gift we received from Jesus. In chapter two of Ephesians, Paul wrote: 4, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7. That in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. These verses give us hope and understanding that because of Jesus we are raised up in Christ Jesus and dead to sin.  We are no longer the sinful man, but we are recipients of the great gift of mercy and grace. We are no longer who we were. Verse seven says he will shew the exceeding riches of his grace. Because of his kindness and goodness, we receive exceeding riches of grace. Exceeding means: very great, extreme. His grace goes beyond what we can think or believe. It is more than; it is expansive. It goes beyond just rescue and setting us free but continues to flow and bless throughout our lives. 

Grace is what gives us access to the throne of God and covers us. He died so we might have life. In verse fourteen of chapter 2, it says: For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.  When Jesus died on that cross, the vail in the temple was torn through revealing the Holy of Holies to those who had had no access to it in the past. This proclaimed that everyone was able to walk into the presence of God because of Jesus' sacrifice. We can approach the throne of God with our petition and our praise. We are robed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and when we approach the holy presence of God, the righteousness of Jesus grants us the right to be there as stated in chapter two. 18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. We are now a part of the family. Grace covers us, changes us, and causes us to be new. We become the habitation of God through the Spirit. His spirit lives in us, granting us peace, joy, and guidance. His presence dwells in us. We cannot earn this, but it is given to us in unmerited favor. 

Paul explained that because of the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, we are saved. Because of Jesus, we are made a part of the family of God. Because of him, we are able to access the Holy One. We were never able to do that on our own. His grace and mercy are a gift that provides great access. We are now able to make our petitions known to God. We are able to bow before him in worship. We are able to speak with him for ourselves. We are able to know him and learn his voice. We can go directly to God and He will respond in great love for us. He sees our needs, he hears our prayers, and he blesses us. We can have a relationship with God because we are now part of his family. We can sit at his table and feast on the good things of God. We can call on Him and his grace and mercy come running. He loves us and cares about our needs. He will answer with his exceeding riches of grace. He is rich in mercy; His love is great and poured out on us. His exceeding grace has saved us. Walk in the full understanding that God's exceeding grace is covering you today. Walk in the confidence of knowing the grace Giver.

What is my issue?

There is a beautiful story of faith and healing recorded in three of the four gospels about a woman with an issue of blood. Luke recorded as follows:

Luke 8:43-48 

43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

When we look at what is recorded about her, we don't get a lot of her life's story but we know a few things. She had spent all she had trying to get help for an issue of blood. She could not be healed by any. This issue of blood, according to the Law of Moses, required her to be deemed unclean. This meant several things. No one could touch her. She wasn't supposed to go out in public. She could not attend services at the temple or synagogue. She was to be untouchable and alone. She had no money and maybe shunned by her loved ones at this point. She was without any hope, until she heard about Jesus. Jesus was healing people; he was delivering people. She heard the stories, maybe even saw from a window. She knew he could help her. 

She risked a lot of things to go out into public in her condition. She had reached a point of desperation. She knew only Jesus could give what she needed. She was at that point that if this didn't work, she would be left completely without any other way to be healed. No one could help her. It said in Matthew's account "She said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole."  She believed he could do this miracle and made up her mind that nothing would stop her. She was driven by desperate hope to get to Jesus. She had to push through the throngs of people, breaking the Law. She reached for him and maybe even had to crawl through, but she reached and found the hem of his garment. Healing immediately flowed through. She was made whole. 

The next part of her story could have terrified her. Jesus stopped and spoke. He asked who had touched him. She knew she could be punished for being out in public. She had suffered for years and knew the risk she had taken. She had no idea how he would respond and what he would say about her touching him. She was unclean. No one wanted her to be around them much less touch them. She had to declare it. She knew she was the one who had received a great miracle. She spoke out in front of all the people trembling in fear, but she spoke. 

She then received a greater blessing. Jesus spoke words of life and love to her. "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  What powerful words. She could have been condemned for breaking the law, instead, she was called Daughter. She was comforted, She received peace. She had healing not only for the physical need, but the spiritual need as well.

Do we have an issue within us that only Jesus can heal?  I think sometimes we carry around burdens, physical or spiritual burdens, thinking no one can help us. We may even wallow in the trouble. It can even become our identity. How many people thought about that woman as that unclean woman. How often had she heard the word spoken to her, "UNCLEAN!"  That may have become an identity. But then, Jesus called her "Daughter!"  We can become so bound in a burden, disease, struggle, or a sin, that it becomes who we think we are. We are stuck. We may even lose hope that no one can do anything about it. But Jesus can. 

We have to reach a point of desperation. This will drive us to begin to reach and seek for the ONE who can save, deliver and heal. Reach for Jesus with such desperation that it no longer matters who sees us, what they may think, or what it may take to get to Him. We may even crawl to that place of prayer and reach out to find the hem of his garment. In that instant, his might power can rush into our need and heal. He can make whole what was once broken. He can restore what is lost. He can do whatever it takes to bring us to the place that we are called by a new name. Our identity is changed. Our healing is done. We will hear him say, "Be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."  

How blessed we can be when we lay down the burdens at the feet of Jesus. Place it all before him and let him do the work in us that we need. Reach for Jesus and you find he is ready to lift you out of the struggle and sin. He is ready to give you what you need.