Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Bible in a Year Reading Plan: 1 Kings 14-18 | John 13

I am sitting in my cozy family room, light jazz music playing, the fireplace and candles are glowing, and my adorable dog, Tucker, is cuddling beside me. 

My heart is full and overwhelmed with gratitude for God's unfathomable love, mercy, and grace. How can we even begin to understand his ways?  

Ephesians 2:4-5
But God is so rich in mercy and loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sin, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

Amazingly, God’s love, grace, and mercy aren’t earned. It is given to us through believing that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. There is nothing we can do that will make him love us more, and nothing we can do to make him love us less. 

He longs to fill us with his mercy and grace, but what does that really mean? Simply, mercy is not getting what we deserve. And grace is getting what we don’t deserve. That alone should overwhelm each of us with gratitude, but God offers us even more. 

He wants to have a deep relationship with us. 

Really think about this: The God of the Universe wants to have a relationship with you. 

God longs for us to pour our hearts out to him and really know him. He longs for us to let his Holy Spirit guide us. He wants to help us grow our faith in him through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other Jesus followers.  

Hebrews 4:16
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

God's love, mercy, and grace make us bold. We can live in total freedom knowing that we no longer have to be weighed down by striving to earn something God has freely given us. 

Praise God!

Questions: 
How does it make you feel to know God’s love, mercy, and grace are given to us through Jesus?

How have you tried to earn God’s love, mercy, and grace?

How can you show gratitude for God’s love, mercy, and grace?

Next Steps: 
Spend time with God in prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other Jesus followers. Find a Core Group. Core Groups are welcoming 4–5 week on-campus experiences, offered at the start and midpoint of each semester. 

Attend Your Purpose at GrowthTrack, a three-weekend, in-person experience designed to help you discover how your place, personality, and passions come together to reveal the purpose God created you for. 

Prayer: 
Abba Father, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and filled with joy because of your great love, mercy, and grace. You are such a good Father. I worship and praise you. Please help me always follow the promptings of your Holy Spirit, especially when it comes to sharing the Gospel with others. I love and adore you. Amen.

Written by Marsha Raymond, a regular contributor to the Daily Devotional.