Most Devoted Savior, I rejoice in the fact that my salvation is the product of justice and mercy uniting on Your cross on Calvary. In Your Father’s system of justice, a blood sacrifice was necessary to atone for sins. The blood of rams, goats and birds were offered as the price to cover a year’s accumulation of offenses. However, an animal’s blood could not make a “permanent atonement” which was what Your Father desired. By definition, the offering had to be perfect and without blemish. Because of my fallen and weak estate, I could never meet the requirements of a “sacrifice” … much less a “perfect” one. The only person who could meet the high standard of a “perfect sacrifice” was God Himself. Since Your role, from the beginning, was to be the face-to-face contact of God with man, it is fitting that You were chosen to be “The Lamb slain for the sins of the world.”
Love and mercy has always been at the heart of who You are and is the cornerstone of Your relationship with man. How else could Adam and Eve’s disobedience and betrayal in the Garden result in another chance to get it right. How else could Your people of the Old Testament be forgiven their acts of disobedience, worship of false gods and lack of faith. Or, in the New Testament, how could those who beat, tortured and murdered You receive the benefit of Your words … “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do” … if it had not been for the love and mercy that was an integral part of You. Mercy is Your response to a repentant heart and I am truly sorry for what I’ve done to hurt You, others or myself. To be truly sorrowful, I must purpose in my heart to not sin again. And, to accomplish that feat, I need the teaching and guidance of Your Holy Spirit.
I am grateful for Your formula for my success … justice + mercy = salvation. You were the only one who could validate such a formula. You were required to suffer much because much had to be atoned for. And, by Your sacrifice for me, You’ve shown me that I was worth being given another opportunity to get it right. I am appreciative that, in Your Father’s perfect system of justice, You were allowed to take my place to atone for my sins. I want to thank You for Your love and commitment to me and, in return, I want to show You my appreciation by accepting Your sacrifice and making a conscious decision to follow You and obey Your commands. I want to become a channel of Your unconditional love and indescribable mercy. The scales have been removed from my eyes and now I am able to understand that what You want from me is to act justly and show mercy. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require? (You should) act justly and love mercy and walk humbly before the Lord.