Rise from the Dust

Thomas Meron said, “When the Lord hears my prayer for mercy (a prayer which is itself inspired by the action of HIS mercy), then he makes his mercy present and visible in me by moving me to have mercy on others as he has had mercy on me.”

Recently, my eyes have been open to the freedom in experiencing God’s love. Because of this, it is so much easier to exquisitely paint a breathtakingly beautiful picture of God’s love to those around me, because I can relate to those who stand in my once messed up spiritual circumference. I can feel their pain and it breaks my heart when they ooze suffering and angst out of every desperate pore in their broken soul. Their life I could have mirrored-someone trying really hard to survive a cataclysmic life journey-but for reasons I still don’t understand, I cling to the coattails of mercy instead.

Because of my recent (and not-so-recent) experiences, the Lord has granted me the opportunity to see some people, as I truly believe he sees them. A friend that is hurting, desperate, and vulnerable to society’s expectations—I have been able to love with such an intense depth that it is simply indescribable.

Through that friendship, my eyes have been opened and my heart made full about the kind of God I serve. The amount of overwhelming love, mercy, and compassion I have for this friend, though sincere, doesn’t even come close to the love, mercy, compassion, gentleness and grace our heavenly father has for her—and all his children.

So many people live in spirituality where after every screw up, mistake, and sin, they feel the need to take part in a sort of spiritual masochism where they have to remind themselves of the wretch they are, and whip themselves with a cat-o’-nine-tails. The idea behind this being that maybe, just maybe after these acts and so many more, God will love them more and they have redeemed some kind of worth in themselves.

But friends, that isn’t the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible—MY GOD says “Rise from the dust O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.” (Is. 52:2). How many times have you mercilessly bound yourselves with chains so the walk toward the throne of mercy is made nearly impossible? Stop drowning yourself in dirty pools of guilt, shame, and sorrow! Stop being a fool by trashing your spirit with dung and mire instead of allowing sweet grace to take shelter where it belongs!

Rise from the dust, O captive one of Zion. Rise from the dust!