It's All About Mercy

Have you ever felt this way?
"Lord I don't deserve salvation. I don't deserve to serve you in a place of ministry.
You could surely find someone more righteous to bless in this way than me."

From time to time those thoughts pop into my head.
A few days ago they arrived at the door of my mind even though the welcome mat wasn't out.
That's the way it always goes, isn't it?

But the Lord is so kind.
I ran across this verse:

Deuteronomy 9:6 (ESV)6 "Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people."

God is talking to His chosen people, the Israelites.
HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE!
Chosen but imperfect.
Chosen despite all of their sin.

For that to really hit home, read through the Old Testament.
The Israelites strayed far from God time and time again.
Yes... He's a just God and they had to deal with the consequences of their disobedience.
But God was always ready to forgive them.
All they had to do was truly repent.
Have a change of mind and heart.
Agree that what they had done was wrong in His eyes.
Humble themselves before Him:

Isaiah 66:2 (NIV) .... "This is the one I esteem(the Lord says) : he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."

God chose the Israelites because He loved them.
Period.
And they would be used to showcase His unbelievable mercy:

Romans 9:15 (ESV)15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

The point?
It's all about Him.
His Glory for being so merciful.
His love for us.
Just because that's who He is.
All of that, despite who we are.

And to think that Jesus, the one who ensured our forgiveness, came through such a wayward people.

It's mercy from begining to end.