Freed by Falling on the Mercy of God

Maya's napping, Scott and Cole are playing battleship and I just finished reading more of my new favorite book, "The Joy of Full Surrender".  

Five minutes ago, Cole walked around the game board to get some of the granola sitting on his father's side of the table.  While Cole was over there he "just couldn't help" but look at the positioning of his father's battleships.  The temptation was just too much for him I suppose.  

When Scott saw Cole's eyes looking at the board he simply said, "Son, you don't want to cheat; it's not good or your soul."  (Can I say...I am so happy to be married to a man who speaks the truths of GOD so lovingly to our children!)

Cole responded with a heartfelt "So sorry!"   Then, I said "Cole, remember you can just ask the Lord for forgiveness and then return to playing the game."    At that he turned around and whispered something to the Lord and then turned back around again and just kept playing the game....and totally without a posture of any remaining heaviness!  PTL!  

What a good reminder for us adults.  Let us not forget that when we are tempted to sin or even when we do stumble in sin ourselves, continuing in it is not good for our souls and that God's mercy is always available to us for our relief.   Let us find freedom through godly repentance by simply and immediately falling on the mercy of God and others (when necessary).  Because like Cole, when we do, we can then quickly and without hinderance or heaviness of soul successfully return to enjoying our time with loved ones in the game of life. 

I heard a homily while on retreat last weekend about this very thing.  The preacher said that sadly when we falter in sin we rarely fall immediatly upon the mercy of God. Instead, we take our shame and go inward  - as if hiding for a time. But that when we come out as we all must do, we do so "POINTING" our fingers of blame, because of our shame, at God and/or others.  And oh what harm we cause to our own souls and our relationships because of this unrighteous worldly pattern of blame-shifting and finger pointing.  We think this will make it better, not having to face the part we played; but instead, it is far more destructive to our own souls and relationships than we could possibly imagine. 

Very often people are walking around heavy-laden and depressed by sins which they themselves can no longer recognize or identify because they have even convinced themselves that their burdens were the fault of others.   We no longer recognize the specific baggage we carry because we have wrongly attributed the cause of our burden to another or to God....and there is no relief for such things.  The wrongs that have been committed against us are the spiritual burden of the sinner. But our own sins are what burden us, that is until we have taken them personally to the foot of the cross!  God did not die to free us from excuses, but rather to free us from the burden on our sins!  But the Word says that "He whom the Lord has set free is free indeed."  

Admit your sins to God - ask for forgiveness - and then your heart will experience freedom! This is the Gospel - and it is truly Good news!  It's time we get back to enjoying that which is set before us.

Comments

[Debbie from OHio]

AMEN!

[Sweet Joni]

WOW! I so LOVE this blog your shared today! Makes a lot of sense & simple to understand!!!
Thanks much Kerry - Thank You God!

Blessings,
~Joni

[Rachael]

Thank you Kerry. I'm printing this to share in devotional time with my kids. I have been praying very recently for a simple description of correcting children "with the gospel" - this is it!

And you are indeed blessed by your husband.

-Rachael