Have you ever been punished and knew you deserved it? How did you feel about your punishment? Were you resentful? Upset? Resigned?
On the flip side, have you deserved punishment and been spared? How did it feel? Were you relieved? Grateful? Or did you take it for granted?
How one receives both justice and mercy speaks volumes about conscience and character. If we resent true justice, there is a lack of intellectual honesty. Conversely, if we feel mercy is “owed” to us because we are “basically good,” we have a warped sense of reality.
Justice is what we deserve. Mercy is what we receive.
To come to God, one must first accept the truth: “all have sinned” and deserve His just punishment. You cannot receive God’s mercy unless you recognize that you need it in the first place. The longer you walk with God, the more you will realize how much you continue to rely on His mercy.
In this month’s plan, we will be considering the abundance of God’s mercy. While I have divided this into sections, you’ll likely notice there is overlap in the concepts. As you write through this passages, consider the contrast between justice and mercy. When you arrive at the section, “What I should give,” think about how you can give mercy to people in your own sphere of influence. We should always aim to lead people to Jesus, but we cannot lead people to Jesus if we don’t live like Jesus.
To download a printable copy of this month’s plan, click the link below:
Got little scripture writers? Have them join you each day in tracing or copying the scriptures using the delightful sheets prepared by Sara McBroom (click the links to download):
For reflections on each day’s scripture, drop by the Elihu’s Corner Facebook page or Instagram (@elihuscorner)
**Special thanks to Sara McBroom and Liz Smith for assisting me each month with these plans**
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