CUP OF COMFORT: Certifed Mercy

“God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!)”

Ephesians 2:4–5

• Last January, right after paying off all the Christmas bills, an official-looking certified letter arrived at my home. Shaking in fear that the letter brought bad news, I tore open the envelope. As a volunteer member of a city committee, I had been given thirty days to submit a certain form to the state’s Ethics Commit- tee. The letter stated that I had missed a deadline for fling this form, and now I could expect to be fined up to $1,500! I remembered dropping that form in the mailbox last July. Surely they would not fine me because someone lost it. I scanned the legal instructions, desperate to avoid paying the fine. My heart skipped a beat as I found grounds for an appeal. Yes, the state would not apply the fine if I could produce a copy of the form and resend it. I would receive mercy . . . wonderful, checking account–saving mercy. But I had to respond in a certain way in order for the state to apply it to my account. I could ignore the letter. I could have blamed others for losing my mail. Or I could point to the reason why I could legally receive mercy. Mercy arrived as soon as I followed instructions. God’s mercy is rich—and everlasting.

#cupofcomfort #inspiration