Quick Help from God’s Word
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Mercy and Grace
Have you ever said something to someone or about someone that you know you shouldn’t have said? Or, have you ever done something to someone that you wish you hadn’t? You feel terribly guilty and you know that the person whom you did wrong to may be angry with you or really hurt by what you said, but instead, they show kindness and mercy to you and they act as though you did nothing wrong. That’s grace. That is how our heavenly Father is with us. He hasn’t dealt with us as our sins deserve or according to all the wrong things that we have said and done. But instead, He is full of mercy and He is gracious toward us and showing us His loving-kindness. God’s word tells us that as a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him with reverence, worship, and awe. Psalms 103:13 Just as God is merciful and gracious to us, we are to be kind, merciful, and truthful to everyone in our lives. We are to let go of hatred and selfishness. When we are merciful, kind, and generous toward others, it benefits us because our deeds return to bless us, and it sure does please the Lord.
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we [are] dust.
[As for] man, his days [are] as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
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About the Book
In this debut book, a selection of favorite Bible verses sheds light on various emotions, problems, and periods of life. Ratcliff’s work is the outgrowth of something many Christians have experienced: the hours and hours spent paging through the Bible searching for a particular verse or passage or hunting for sections on a specific topic of theme. This volume is the author’s own version of an answer to this: It’s essentially a commonplace book of biblical passages arranged by subject and lightly dusted with personal commentary. The topic headings are concepts that will be familiar to most Christians. They frequently have about them the feel of an old-time prayer book, and they don’t shy away from the more exacting aspects of Christianity. Examining “suffering,” for instance, Ratcliff prefaces her assortment of quotations with ruminations on the subject. “Since Jesus suffered for us, we should also be patient and suffer so that we won’t fail to please God,” she writes. “For if we have suffered in the flesh, then we have quit sinning on purpose and we have stopped pleasing ourselves and the world, and we live to please the Lord.” The same stern, pre-Vatican II tone is struck in her introduction to the grouping quotes under “Fear of the Lord”: “God’s word in His rule book and there are a lot of benefits to obeying it. The fear of the Lord means to reverence Him, to worship Him, and to be in awe of Him.” Likewise, there are assembled verses warning against backsliding, cursing, drinking, boasting, slandering, and so on. But Ratcliff is careful to balance these with more positive, affirming excerpts about heavenly love, forgiveness, and support, and the lasting impression of her own reflections is one of the restorative power of faith—and the inspiring influence of Scripture. Christian readers and prayer groups should find this collection an invaluable aid, as will believers who are a bit tired of looking for that one crucial passage. A thoughtfully themed guided tour through Christian Scripture, a kind of keyword search executed with compassionate elaboration. —Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Nora Ratcliff is a local real-estate agent who has a passion for leading people to Christ. Over the course of 37 years she has come to know Jesus and has developed a deeper relationship with Him through studying and praying His word daily. She has read a myriad of books that assisted her with her study time and prayer life. She has taken all that she has learned and incorporated her style into one encompassing book that she hopes can lead others to know Jesus on a more personal level.
In addition to her love for Christ, she is a southern gal from Louisiana who adores her family. She is a wife, a mother of three, and a grandmother to six. She enjoys reading, spending time studying the nature that surrounds her home, baking and fishing. This is her first attempt at writing a book, outside of her newly published cookbook entitled “Comfort Foods That Bo Likes”.
It is her hope that this book inspires you to read and pray the Word more often and to enjoy the loving fellowship that Jesus extends to you at all times.