“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” (Eph. 2:4 NIV)

Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment. It is kindness when judgment would be justified. It is God holding back what we do deserve because of His great love.

We serve a powerful and merciful God. He knows we have all fallen short of His glory—and yet He does not turn away from us. Instead, He reaches toward us with forgiveness, patience, and tender compassion.

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” (Psalm 86:5 NKJV)

Come boldly to receive mercy

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16 NKJV)

God does not tell us to come crawling in fear—He invites us to come boldly, because His throne is not just a throne of power, but a throne of grace and mercy.

Mercy gives us new life and living hope

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 NKJV)

Because of His mercy, we are not only forgiven—we are made new and given a living hope.

Therefore

Because God is rich in mercy, we never need to hide from Him in shame. We can run to Him in repentance, confidence, and trust—knowing He delights to forgive, restore, and give us new beginnings.

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22–23 ESV)

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” (Titus 2:11 NIV)

Grace is God’s unmerited favor—His kindness and blessing given to us, not because we deserve it, but because He is good. We did nothing to earn it and could never work for it. Grace is God’s mercy in action, shown most clearly when He sent His Son to die on the cross to rescue sinners and give us eternal life.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Eph. 1:7 NIV)

Grace is received by faith

“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe… all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22–24 NIV)

Grace cannot be earned. It is received—by trusting in Jesus Christ alone.

You are saved by grace

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV)

Salvation is a gift, not a reward. Even our good works come after we are saved, not before.

Grace came through Jesus

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17 NIV)

The law shows us our need. Jesus brings us grace.

Grace brings the gift of righteousness

“How much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 NIV)

Life has a way of bringing sudden storms—unexpected phone calls, health scares, financial pressure, family burdens, or problems that seem bigger than we are. In those moments, we don’t just need ideas or advice—we need a place of safety, a source of strength, and real help. Psalm 46:1 tells us God promises all three.

This verse gives us three powerful assurances:

1) He is our refuge

A refuge is a place of safety, shelter, and protection. When life is chasing us down with fear, worry, or trouble, God Himself is the place we run to—not just a solution, but a secure shelter.

2) He is our strength

God doesn’t just give strength—He is our strength. When we feel weak, worn down, or empty, we are not relying on our own ability. We are leaning on His power.

3) He is our ever-present help in trouble

God is not distant or delayed. He is present, available, and ready to help right in the middle of the problem—not just after it’s over.

Therefore

When trouble comes, don’t panic—run to God. Hide in Him, lean on Him, and trust Him. He is your safe place, your power supply, and your immediate help—right now.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV)

Jesus is full of grace and truth

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NIV)

His Word is truth

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17 NIV)

We are brought forth by the word of truth

“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18 ESV)

Therefore

Because Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, we can walk with confidence, stand on God’s Word without compromise, and live with assurance—knowing we are saved, sealed, and secure in Him.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV)

“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13 NIV)

If we focus on all the scary and alarming things happening in the world instead of on the Word of God, it can cause us to lose heart. But God has not left us without hope. He has given us His promises—and His promises point us to a glorious future.

This world is temporary

No matter how unstable or troubling things may look, God is going to create a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells. That is the future He has prepared for those who trust Him. We are just passing through here—our best days are still ahead.

God’s plans for us have always been good:

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jer. 29:11 NIV)

Therefore

Don’t let today’s troubles steal tomorrow’s hope. Keep your eyes on God’s promises and live with confidence, knowing that He has a great future planned for you.

“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD.” (Prov. 16:20 NIV)

The Bible is the best instruction book ever written, and it covers everything we need in order to live wisely and prosper in any situation.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5–6)

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7–8)

Whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe (Prov. 29:25)

Therefore

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” (Psalm 91:1-2)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6 NIV)

To be hungry or thirsty means to have a strong desire or craving. That is the kind of desire Jesus is talking about here—a deep, driving longing to be right with God.

What is righteousness?

Dictionaries define righteousness as “behavior that is morally justifiable or right,” characterized by standards of morality, justice, virtue, and uprightness.

The Bible’s definition of righteousness

According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, God the Father is righteous, Jesus Christ is the Righteous One, and God gives the gift of righteousness to repentant sinners through Christ. Believers are declared righteous, are being made righteous, and will one day be perfectly righteous—all because they are in a covenant relationship with the living God, who finishes what He starts.

The Bible describes the righteous person as one who trusts in the Lord and holds fast to Him (Psalm 33:18–22).

We all fall short of God’s righteousness

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

God’s standard of righteousness is His own perfection—in every attribute, every attitude, every word, and every action. His law is the plumb line by which all human righteousness is measured—and none of us measure up.

You cannot become righteous by your own efforts

True righteousness is possible only through the cleansing of sin by Jesus Christ and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. We have no ability to make ourselves righteous.

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)

We are made righteous in the sight of God because of Jesus

We are accepted and treated as righteous by God solely because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He was treated as if He were a sinner—though He was perfectly holy—so that we could be treated as if we were righteous—though we are not.

Because of what Christ endured in our place, God now treats us as if we had perfectly obeyed His law and never been exposed to its penalty. We have received this precious gift of righteousness from the God of all mercy and grace.

Therefore

Don’t hunger and thirst for success, approval, or self-improvement. Hunger and thirst for righteousness—for Christ Himself.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:33 NIV)

“The law of the LORD is perfect,  refreshing the soul.  The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,  making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7 NIV)

Don’t be a fool—be wise!

  “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.” (Proverbs 15:14 NLT)

Garbage in, garbage out!

Some people tell me they can watch or read anything and it doesn’t bother them. That is foolish talk! Just because something doesn’t bother you doesn’t make it acceptable. It only means you have gotten so used to it that it no longer bothers you. It’s like the proverbial frog placed in warm water: if the water is heated up quickly, the frog notices and jumps out. But if it is heated very slowly—one degree at a time—the frog doesn’t notice until it’s too late and it is cooked.

When you can watch or read stuff that is profane, blasphemous, evil, vile, and abusive and it doesn’t bother you, you have a problem. You have become numb to sin! You’ve become a fool (Prov. 15:14 NLT).

Whatever you put in your brain is what you become (or are)!

You have a choice to make regarding what you allow into your head. You can put in trash, or you can put in truth. The Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7)

Therefore

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5 NIV)

The place you need to go to fill your mind with truth is God’s Word.

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6)

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” (Acts 17:24–25 NIV)

As I travel often in my line of work, I see many kinds of buildings and structures built to serve God. Some are awe-inspiring and breathtakingly beautiful. And while they are wonderful places to gather and worship, none of them are where God actually lives.

He does not live in temples built by human hands.

God dwells in the human heart

“Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Eze. 36:26)

“The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom. 5:5)

You have God in your heart because you have invited Him there

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” (Eph. 3:17)

“To all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

Therefore

Every breath you take is a gift from God. Every heartbeat is sustained by Him. And if you belong to Christ, He is not merely someone you visit in a building—He lives in you. Live today with gratitude, humility, and confidence, knowing that the God who gives life and breath and everything else has made your heart His home.