today I Saw The Difference Between Mercy and Grace

Something really struck me today as I was reading Romans 9:15-16. All this time, I've been thinking about God's grace, but I don't think I fully understood how different mercy is from grace until now.

The verse keeps echoing in my mind: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy." At first, it might sound arbitrary, but now I see it's showing the depths of God's heart. He chooses to reach down to us in our worst state - not because we deserve it, but because that's who He is.

I had this moment of clarity when I thought about it like this: If my good friend gives me a Bible as a gift, that's grace - it's a beautiful gesture between friends. But mercy? Mercy is different. Mercy is when you see someone who's completely destitute, someone who can't give anything back, and you help them anyway. That's what God did for me.

The thing is, I wasn't just unprepared for God's grace - I was completely unworthy of it. I needed something that could reach deeper than grace. I needed mercy. It's humbling to realize that I was so far from God that His grace alone couldn't bridge the gap. I needed His mercy first.

Before I could even receive His grace, His mercy had to reach down and lift me up. Like that verse says - it's not about my will or my efforts, but about God who shows mercy. I couldn't run fast enough or try hard enough. I needed His mercy first.

Thank You, Lord, for showing me the difference between Your grace and mercy. Thank You that You didn't wait for me to be worthy of grace - You reached down with mercy first. Help me never forget that it was Your mercy that bridged the gap. Let me be someone who shows that same kind of mercy to others.