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It’s interesting how as kids when we first start receiving report cards in school, they make such an impact on us. It’s almost as if it gets in our brain that everything about us is now measured by a grade, and our success is determined by that. We can even go so far as to feel that God grades us.
He sees how we’re doing in one area so maybe He gives us a B. If we get a C or D, that means we don’t get as much approval or love from God. Heaven forbid if we ever get an F! That’s when we really are in trouble. So if we are in that mindset, we continually are concerned about and doubt where we stand with the Lord. We wonder, What grade am I receiving today?
We have to come to the place that we tear up those report cards that we keep trying to create and allow Him to show us how much favor and approval He has for us. We need to look into the eyes of Jesus and see His mercies! He’s not there to rake up past mistakes. We’re the ones who do that! And aren’t we good at it!
We go back and pull up memories and feel the hurt and pain of them again. The shame. It’s almost as if our subconscious thinks that if we feel enough pain, it will help us pay for those blunders. And if we pay for them, then maybe we can get free from them.
That’s not how it works. You cannot ever pay for mercies. Jesus gives them to you for one reason: because you’re in His heart and He is in yours. You have His forgiveness and restoration. You can have it because He paid the price on the cross for you.
So you can keep creating report cards if you want. You can continue raking up the old stuff. But you’re wasting your time because the Lord will not hear of it. He doesn’t want to hear about what you’ve done wrong in the past. Zephaniah chapter 3 says the Lord is in the midst of you, a Mighty Savior Who saves! He is silent and makes no mention of past sins or even recalls them. He rejoices over you with singing!
That means when you go astray or you make a blunder or mistake, when you go to Him for mercies, He wipes away what was done wrong. Then He makes a promise to you. He will be silent about it forever. He will never make another mention of that.
So when those thoughts come up, do the same thing the Lord does. Silence them. Say to yourself, God isn’t thinking about this so neither will I. Then receive His mercies. The price has been paid and there’s no sense in your trying to pay for it also, because you can’t.
I heard a story that does a good job at giving us the picture of how Jesus took our punishment for wrongdoing. Years ago, there was a boy in school who was always acting up. One day he was taken to the office of the principal. He was used to that, so it didn’t scare him. He told the principal, “Go ahead, I can take whatever you dish out.”
However, this time the principal said, “Today is the day you’re going to find out about mercy. That means you will not get what you deserve.”
The teacher was in the room with them so the principal told him to get the belt and fold it. Then the principal walked over to the teacher and put out his own hands and arms and told the student to count the blows. The teacher began to whip the outstretched hands of the principal. As each crack of the belt came down, he would count. One. Two. Three. After the fourth time, tears came to the student’s eyes. He began to scream, “Stop! That’s enough. Stop! I did it. I’m the one who deserves it.”
When it was over, the principal stood there with sweat coming down his face and his hands swollen. Then he walked over to the student, held his face in his hands and looked into his eyes. “That’s mercy,” he said. When the boy understood that, his whole life changed.
Today, see Jesus taking His bloodstained hands and holding your face in them. As you look into His eyes He says to you, “That’s mercy. I took those blows for you. I took the whippings and the pain. All your mistakes and sins and failures were on Me when I hung on the cross to be crucified. So now receive My mercies.”
Oh, you don’t have to worry about a report card. You don’t have to worry about what you’ve done wrong. And you don’t have to beat yourself up about it. Receive mercies today and live in the freedom Jesus has provided you.
A Spiritual Powerline to say out loud:
“I RECEIVE YOUR MERCIES!”
Here is a powerful prayer to say out loud:
Lord, today I believe I am covered by Your mercies. You will not recall what I have done wrong. Now heal me from those hard memories. They cannot torment me anymore. They are silenced. All I hear is Your voice of mercy. I walk in freedom. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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