“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10, NIV 1984).

I went by the rehab facility to deliver his Christmas present. Since he was confined to a wheelchair with poor vision, I thought a CD with audiobooks might improve his sanity. He was eating lunch at the time. After we had talked a few minutes, he said, “Oh, I forgot.” He then bowed his head and prayed, “Dear God, thank you for this cup of mercy.” Since his thoughts are sometimes slightly jumbled, I assumed this was his way of saying grace over lunch. And then he raised his head, looked me in the eyes, and asked, “Did you get your cup this morning?”

Wow. When was the last time I considered God’s cup of mercy held out to me?

Intellectually, I am often aware of the theological work Christ completed on the cross, but rarely do I stop to wonder at the depths of His mercy. After sitting with my friend, I am overwhelmed with the cup that Christ has offered me.

A cup of mercy for my physical life: so many missed tragedies that I deserve no less than those who suffer them.

A cup of mercy for my spiritual life: a bridge that spans the abyss between my self-focused, mundane world and His eternal Spirit, each day.

A cup of mercy for my eventual life: when I die, I will live again.

All undeserved, all so costly for the One who offers.

“And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it” (Mark 14:23, ESV).

Today, may I take it and sip slowly.

Did you get your cup of mercy this morning?

Dear Father,
I bow before Your mercy in amazement and gratitude.
Amen