Bread for the Journey

But then God our Saviour showed us his kindness and love.  He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy.  He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:4-5 NLT

When I recently received this beautifully wrapped gift from my friend. ..

I thought it was a lovely demonstration of her kindness and love toward me.

Don't you just love giving gifts to deserving people? I  usually have cards and little tokens of appreciation tucked away with people in mind.

It is easy to give lovely gifts to people who are nice to us. .

or to our adult children when they are a blessing to us. ..

or to our little children when they have been obedient and have demonstrated an attitude that we want to encourage.

I then thought how God gives us gifts in such a different way.  We've been studying Jonah in our weekend services in church.    When God asked Jonah to go tell the people of Nineveh to repent he ran the opposite direction and we know that did not work well for him.  After he realized that he could not disobey God and decided to go . . he was unhappy because he expected they might repent and he felt that they did not deserve God's compassion.  He went into the city. . told them to repent and as we know. ..they did.  The city meant business and seriously demonstrated that they would turn from their evil ways.  God was compassionate on the city who had sinned in every conceivable way.  They were not destroyed but rather saved. 

Then. . I thought about myself and how I perceive my own sins.  The Bible is clear when it says that sin is sin.  I needed to admit that I sometimes find it  hard to fathom that I need to repent just as much as the most evil person in the world.

God who sees my heart .. saw me for who I was and in his vast love, chose to give me (all of us)  the most amazing gift I  (we) could ever imagine.

God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for me (us) and in his mercy, he forgave my (our) sins and gave me (us) a new life in Jesus Christ.

Humanly, it makes no sense but I am so grateful and so thankful for the gift I did not deserve but was given in grace.  No wonder we call his compassion on us . .."amazing grace."

God's love is the same for all of mankind.  We only need to see our need to repent and then accept and believe in Jesus. Can you relate to this?  Are you in need of a Saviour today?

May you have a blessed Sunday!