"Unbound by Mercy"

"I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots." (Psalms 81:6) If you woke up today, by whatever it is that you call it, be grateful and happy for another chance to prove your love for God. I once called my alarm clock an opportunity clock; something I picked up years ago from Zig Ziglar. Recently I caught myself calling it an alarm clock, and I had to pause and wonder when I reverted back to that. It is set for 4:00 every morning, with three simple words that display on the screen, "Time to Pray." Don't ask me why, but most mornings I actually wake up at 3:45; only to look at the clock and make myself go back to sleep. I have my wife's bed against mine, so I can hold her hand in the morning and start off praying for her. But then it's off into the living room, to the place where the Lord waits for me every morning. I know, He is not literally sitting there waiting; that's just something I picked up from a little book, "My heart, Christ's home." If you have not had a chance to read that little book, it's well worth the time it takes to read it. I use to have a stack of them that I passed out to fellow believers; I'm not quite sure nonbelievers would get much from it, except to have another excuse to avoid meeting Jesus. It's not that it causes us to realize the different ways that Christ needs to be Lord over our lives, it's more about all the different ways that we prevent Him from being Lord of all of it. It's kind of crazy, the way we sometimes avoid having mercy granted into certain parts of our lives; if we don't give those areas over to the Lord, then we are not going to experience the mercy He has to offer us for those particular things in our life. What a huge waste of an opportunity! It's sure is a good thing that you woke up today...
"At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you from hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! "My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."" (Matthew 11:25-30) NLT