This Is the Day the Lord Has MadeSample

GOD'S RICH MERCY

"But God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!" - Ephesians 2:4-5

I recently learned in the Bible that mercy means the act of withholding deserved punishment. The Bible tells us that the consequence of sin is death. Sometimes, that can be hard for us to hear and understand. The truth is that God is holy and can't be in the presence of sin. Since God loves me and wants me to be with Him eternally in heaven, He created a way for me to come to Him, even though I am a sinner. God sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay my debt. When Jesus died on the cross, He took on all my debt and made me alive in Him.

God's mercy on us is a way to know and have faith in God. We know that when we sin, we need to repent, and God will have mercy on us. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." God's mercy on us can help us have faith in Him because we know that if we repent, God will forgive us. Just because He forgives us doesn't mean we can sin and not acknowledge it. We need to try not to sin, but when we do, we must confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.

Here are some things to reflect on:

• What are some ways I can connect with the Lord?
• What are some things I can do to help me forgive people?
• How can I grow my faith in the Lord?

God's mercy for us is so strong, and He always forgives us. We need to forgive others as God forgives us.

Riley VanderVeen, 6th grade