His grace, my daily miracle

I have been reading in 1 Samuel this week and I have found myself pondering, once again, why there is so much death and killing in the Old Testament. I see the big picture and what was being accomplished in some of the stories of the kings and leaders of the past. But I know God is merciful and loving, and so I struggle. I struggle with the idea of God, my God, allowing and even demanding at times, so much death. So I searched and found an excellent explanation given by John Piper.  An explanation that I have realized in my heart through prayer, but so quickly forget when I am tempted to believe that I am "good". I am not "good", but I am forgiven, loved, and accepted by Him...each and every day.  So what John Piper said was,

"God is taking life every day. He will take 50,000 lives today. Life is in God's hand. God decides when your last heartbeat will be, and whether it ends through cancer or a bullet wound. God governs.

So God is God! He rules and governs everything. And everything he does is just and right and good. God owes us nothing". 

"God. Owes. Us. Nothing". How true is that statement?!  It is only by his mercy and grace that I am living and breathing today. It is by His mercy alone, that I will wake in the morning and see a sunrise and greet two precious babies that call me mama.  With that realization, I see now that each day given to me is truly a miracle and God given. I don't "deserve" anything...but He has given me much anyway...Grace.

So today, I choose a heart of gratitude. I choose to be grateful for the miracle I have been given today in the gift of life, the gift of a warm (or cold) meal, hugs, cuddles, love, and the other things that wiggle its way into my day. I am undeserving of it all, but blessed in abundance to obtain it today.