Written by Karyn Dancy, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas
I was reading a devotional about Jonah this morning that really hit home for me. It was pointing out how Jonah was running because God is merciful, and Jonah didn’t feel the Ninevites deserved mercy. God is merciful. Even to the Ninevites who did deplorable things.
Do you ever think about why God would spare the Ninevites, but not Sodom and Gomorrah? He knew what they would become.
It struck me because God is merciful to me. Over and over, God has been so patient with me, teaching me step by step what I was able to accept and improve on a little bit at a time. For example, I’ve struggled with depression ever since a terrible car accident that caused some brain damage 20 years ago. I was even suicidal. Ten years ago, though, I had what seemed to be a revelation to me. You see, I always thought that my faith in God was strong, but in one life changing moment ten years ago I had a realization that if I didn’t trust that God had a plan for my life, then my faith was not strong because He promised me that He has good plans for me in Jeremiah 29:11.
I feel like that must be such an obvious thing to anyone who’s thought about it, but for me it took time to come to this realization. God revealed it to me at just the right time, though. It was an ah-ha moment that I needed to be able to fight the depression and trust in the Lord. It gave me a story to share.
Believe me, there are plenty more stories in which I have been on the wrong path in life, much more embarrassing ones, but God was patient with me and helped me come to an understanding of what I needed at just the right time. I could look back on all my years of getting things wrong and think God should’ve abandoned me so many times, but I’m still here, so He must see that I will be a part of His plan one day. Maybe that day is today. I’ll probably always be a work in progress till He calls me home.
I’ve been very negative about myself, beating myself up for my past and also for my physical appearance. It’s time to redefine myself. God sees something in me. I’m going to take hold of that and look for it. I’m going to look for His will in my life. I’m still going to stumble, but I know that God knows I’m going to get there. That’s enough for me.
In case you need the reminder today, His mercy is enough for you too!