Day 4:

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,  that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of  need. (Heb 4:16) 

For many years, I thought the more righteous I was the more caring  God would be toward me. When I read passages like Romans 12:1, “I  appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present  your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which  is your spiritual worship,” I thought the Bible confirmed my way of  thinking. 

But what I missed in this passage was the phrase by the mercies of God.  It’s by God’s mercies that we are made holy and acceptable. 

So, remember, our being holy and acceptable to God isn’t a product of  our merits but his! It’s Christ grace that gives us right standing before  God, and we can rejoice that his mercy triumphs over judgment! 

Prayer: Father, thank you for being merciful to me! I know that I am a  sinful person who has been saved by your grace, not by my merits.