It is His Pleasure

Daniel 9:18 Incline your ear, O my God, and hear. Open your eyes and look at our desolation and the city that bears your name. We do not present our supplication before you on the ground of our righteousness, but on ground of your great mercies.

We can never approach God on on the strength of our goodness or worthiness, but He welcomes us because of His great love and grace.

In his prayer, Daniel was calling on God to end the suffering and humiliation of his people. The 123 Psalm is a cry for mercy. Both of these are examples of prayers for undeserved and otherwise unattainable grace. They were appealing to His demonstrated willingness to act in the best interest of His people, even though they realized that they had not been willing to act in their own self interest. In the fifth chapter of Luke we are told of Jesus inviting four men to accompany him. Each of them, Simon Peter, James, John and Levi knew they had no right to stand in the presence of this holy man, yet they followed. Christ is still calling us to accept his grace and follow in the path that leads to life eternal. Some people who I talk with seem crushed by the feeling of unworthiness that Christ leaves them with. They realize that they can never be able to live up to his example. They are right. The point I feel that they are missing is the great sacrifice that he made to pay for our sinful nature. He wants to know us and to be our God and was willing to sacrifice himself to make that possible. It is not a matter of our goodness or even of justice but of His love for us and His desire to give life to all who will take it.

Father God, please help me let go of my pride and desire to justify myself. May I embrace my smallness and accept Your gift of grace and offer of peace and life. Amen.