WEEK 24 – DAY 4

June 17, 2021

KINDNESS THAT MELTS THE HEART

Do you take the kindness of God for granted? Do you see His patience and tolerance as signs that He is a pushover when it comes to sin? How could you not know that His kindness is guiding our hearts to turn away from distractions and habitual sin to walk a new path? Romans 2:4b (VOICE)

Extravagant kindness. God’s kindness toward us, His goodness in action brought Him down from His throne in heaven in the form of a helpless baby placed in an animal’s feeding trough on a bed of hay. God’s kindness toward us was exhibited in the person of His only begotten Son Jesus who healed the sick, cast out demons, and announced that the Kingdom of God was near. God’s extravagant kindness toward us even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) took Jesus to the cross to die in our place, paying the ransom for our sin. God’s kindness, His goodness, provides all our needs, sending rain and sunshine to grow food. His “common grace,” the benefits He gives to all men, is meant to draw us into a relationship with Him. Susie says my heart sings “Frosty the Snowman” and we jokingly call my heart “Frosty.” God’s goodness, His kindness, melts Frosty and my heart becomes a puddle poured out at the foot of the cross, repenting of my sin and trusting Jesus alone to save me. It is God’s kindness toward us even though we are completely unworthy that enables us to see that we could never be good enough to earn His love. His extraordinary goodness brings us to realize our need to surrender our lives to His control in order to be changed from the inside out. On our own, we do not even have the strength to repent, to turn our lives around. Even the ability to repent is a gift from God. We do not have intrinsic value. We come to this world with nothing and leave with nothing. Our only value comes from Jesus, the potential He gives us, the purpose for which He created us. In His goodness, His loving-kindness, Jesus chose to die for us and value us.

Father, thank You for melting our hearts with Your goodness, Your lovingkindness, and drawing us into a right relationship with You. Thank You that when there was no goodness to be found in us, You sent Your Son, the Good Shepherd and the Perfect Passover Lamb to purchase our salvation on the cross.