Day 25

Did you ever have one of those days where you just want to write the un-recommendation letter to the Lord (and everybody else) about why you’re completely unqualified for him to use you? That’s what I went through today. Something like “Lord, this is how I’ve messed up Just TODAY! How are you ever going to work in me when I am probably going to make so many more mistakes that just what I’ve done on this trip? What if I have a bad attitude tomorrow, or the next day? Lord, What do you even see in ME?”

I guess we all have these days. I felt a lot like Zacchaeus in the Bible. He didn’t even really pursue Jesus – He just kind of watches him go by from a tree. He doesn’t even really feel worthy to go down and try to seek Jesus out – but he is intrigued. So he just chills, because he doesn’t really feel good enough to go and talk to Jesus. And Jesus looks – and sees him, right where he is. Tax collector and cheater and slime of the earth that He is. And Jesus calls him down, and goes and shares a meal with Him. Why? It’s not like Zacchaeus even pursued Jesus.

But this is what 1 John 4:10 says “Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that HE. LOVED. US. And sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

And in my mopey mood of “Jesus really shouldn’t love or choose me because I am not really good at living life perfectly,” I came across Hosea 2. The prophet is talking to a generation who has REALLY screwed up – they’re going to be exiled because of their massive amounts of sin. Yet, the Lord still loves them. He says,

Ok, Israel, you’ve messed up, but let’s try again. I’m going to woo you into the wilderness and we’re going to start over. I’m going to show compassion to you (Yes, I know you don’t deserve it.) And I’m going to call you mine (yes, though you have rebelled time and again). You are my people, and [you] will say, You are my God.

Wow. I’m not deserving. Neither were Zacchaeus or the Israelites. But to quote a [ex]popular song, “The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair” (Relient K, for those who appreciate citations). Maybe today, the Lord is trying to teach me, and perhaps you, a little bit about grace.

Unmerited. Undeserved. Grace.

Thank you, Jesus.