Get What You Deserve?

I woke up several days ago, with an incident on my mind, that happened several years ago, and my response to that incident. To this day, I don't know what I should have done, but I don't think it is what I did do.

As a result, I was feeling kind of guilty, and inadequate. And the thought popped into my head: "You get what you deserve."

And I began to consider how God gives us, just what we deserve. Just like that guy in the Bible, who was responsible for a persecution of the church, and the death and imprisonment of, possibly, thousands of God's children.

God treated him as he deserved:

• God appeared to him, and spoke to him audibly.
• God blinded him, forcing him to slow down, and really who Jesus was.
• God miraculously healed the blindness.
• God forgave, redeemed, and saved him.
• God used him as a catalyst of a huge expansion of his kingdom.
• God used him to write half of the New Testament. 

No, God does not deal with us, as we deserve. First, God deals with us in mercy.

Imagine, you are driving 80 mph in a 25 mph zone. A policemen pulls you over. You deserve a ticket of many hundreds of dollars , and suspension of your driver's license.

Instead, the policeman says: "Good morning, sir. I noticed that you were driving in excess of the posted speed limit. This is a residential area. The posted speed limit was chosen to make sure that pedestrians in this area are safe. So, the next time you drive this area, please, reduce your speed to the posted speed limit. And have a good rest of the day."

That's mercy. Not getting what we deserve. But God does not just give mercy. God gives grace.

Grace is not only mercy, but the policeman also says: "And here's a gift card to one of my favorite restaurants. Please, enjoy a meal on me with a friend. And here's another gift card. Please, give it to another friend, so they can enjoy a meal on me. And have a good rest of the day."

God gives grace. We don't get what we do deserve; we do get what we don't deserve.