[LWC]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shane-Fre...6277322532

http://broshanef.blogspot.com/2013/02/wh...to-me.html

Rachel and I were cleaning house the other day and blasting Pandora throughout the parsonage. One of my favorite songs happened to come on and I just happened to hear it. Later that week, I was at the office here at Bryantsville United Methodist Church doing some work. I was doing some sorting and filing, so I had Pandora on again. I heard these lyrics that resonated through my being and leaped into my soul.

"Mercy came running, like a prisoner set free, past all my failures to the point of my need. When the sin that I carried was all I could see and when I could not reach mercy, mercy came running to me."

The heavens swung open, the richness of God's blessings poured down, the love of God was spread broadly and liberally in my heart and the Holy Spirit of God churned, twisted and wrestled about in my soul. I had no choice but to weep and pray in praise.

Rarely, have I knowledgeably experienced moments of grace like that. I can count on two hands moments like that in my life. When I went forward to beg Bro. Mark Whicker to 'pray for me to be saved' at the age of ten, two weeks later when I got baptized, the night before I became a Sunday school teacher, that day my freshman year of college that I re-surrendered to ministry, April 5, 2008 when I met my future wife, and just a couple of others. Point being, it was a moment when I just knew that God exists, loves me and showered me with his grace.

Those lyrics may not mean much to the average person. They may just be part of another great Christian song. However, they will never mean more to any one person than they mean to me. They may mean as much, but never more.

Notice, the lyrics say that 'mercy came running like a prisoner set free'. When it came to a beloved child of His, God sent his mercy running, not walking, expediently not slowly, in a hurry not in relaxation. Romans 8:2 says "And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." Notice that we have been freed by God's mercy and grace.

'past all my failures to the point of my need.' Hebrews 4:16 tells us, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." God looks past all of our failures. Consider that for a moment. Feel free to stop reading and pray and meditate on that for a moment. This blog will be here when you are ready to finish it.

'When the sin that I carried was all I could see'. Every failure. Every sin. Every let-down. Every time that we have fallen short of who we are supposed to be. Every lie. Every vulgarity. Every moment of drunkenness. Every single solitary time that we let God down. God looks past it, looks beyond it. He is even willing to forgive it because of Jesus sacrifice and if we plead the blood of Jesus. God looks past these failures to the point of my need.

'and when I could not reach mercy, mercy came running to me.' I need thee, Oh, I need thee Jesus. I have made a lot of mistakes. Bluntly, I have not just made mistakes, I have intentionally sinned. There have been moments that I knew something was wrong but I did it anyway. In my own power, in my own strength, in the frailty of my humanity, I could never reach, attain or grasp the tender, loving mercies of God. I cannot even come close. One of the two Bible verses that I hold so close to my heart is 1 Peter 1:3, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." In God's great mercy he has given me a fresh start. Not only a fresh start, but a new birth. He has said not only are you getting a second chance, you are getting a first chance because I forgive you of your sin, and choose to forget it. This is further illustrated in Psalm 103:12 tells us that "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Not only that, but God gives us a new hope through the resurrection of Jesus. God finds us, frees us, forgives us, fills us and one day fulfills his plan in us.

Heavenly Father, you know my need and you meet me there. Thank you for your grace, mercy and love. Thank you that mercy came running to me. In Jesus name, Amen.

Copyright....me. lol.