Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16, NLT),
Before I could swim, I fell into a swimming pool.
I remember that my mother jumped in to get me. Not too long after that, I went to the baby pool and taught myself to swim. I wasn’t traumatized, I just knew that if I was going to be around water, I should learn to swim.
I still fall into the pool of God’s grace and mercy. Sometimes I slip, at other times, someone pushes me, and many times I jump voluntarily. I find refreshing by sinking into His grace and mercy.
My simple definition of grace is receiving something that I don’t deserve. My simple definition of mercy is not receiving something that I do deserve.
I experience forgiveness and peace whenever I’m in the pool of God’s grace and mercy.
I’m using pool imagery because I remember sinking while looking up through the water and seeing my mother jump in to get me. I had no fear whatsoever as my mother was on the way!
I discovered as I grew up the fearsome force that my mother could be when I was threatened. Nobody messed with her!
When I’m in the pool of God’s grace and mercy, I experience Psalm 86 …
Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive (vv. 3-5*).
Covered with God’s grace and mercy, you will find freedom, forgiveness, and hope in any situation.
The pool of God’s grace and mercy is such a wonderful experience that I often wonder why I don’t jump in more often. I admit that when I’m at a swimming pool, I stick my foot in the water to check the temperature.
I hesitate to jump in when the water seems cold. If I go ahead and get in the pool, I quickly acclimate to the water and enjoy myself.
We all find happiness in a cool pool on a hot summer’s day.
This gives us a clue as to why we stay out of the pool of God’s grace and mercy. The honesty of confession and forgiveness is difficult at first. But if we go ahead and get in the water, we find joy!
But sometimes we need a friend to push us into the water.
The Bible teaches that we are to encourage, admonish, and confront one another, and with our initial resistance to God’s grace and mercy, we often need a push from a friend to fall into His pool.
Okay, you have my permission – if you see me hesitating at a swimming pool this summer, go ahead and push me in.
Believe me, I will do the same for you.
LOL!
(*Read further about this Psalm in Interruption #878.)