Reading 30

Acts 28 – Romans 3

Lately music has been a huge part of my life. Not in the “oh!-I-just-heard-the-best-new-artist” way and not even in the “I-just-can’t-get-through-a-day-without-my-iPod” way. I’m hearing songs that speak into my life on a level that I am connecting with deeply. There’s truth spoken in these songs that I can identify with what is happening in my life. I don’t always recognize the connection until something else reminds me of it.

For example, after reading Romans 2:4 which says “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” a song popped into my head. Have you already guessed which song I’m thinking of? It’s a song by Chris Tomlin called Kindness. Here are the words:

Kindness

Open up the skies of mercy
Rain down your cleansing flood
Healing waters rise around us
Hear our cries, Lord Let 'em rise

It's Your kindness Lord that leads us to repentance
Your favor, Lord, is our desire
It's Your beauty, Lord, that makes us stand in silence
Your love, Your love is better than life

We can feel Your mercy falling
You are turning our hearts back again
Hear our praises rise to heaven
Draw us near, Lord, meet us here

It's Your kindness Lord that leads us to repentance
Your favor, Lord, is our desire
It's Your beauty, Lord, that makes us stand in silence
Your love, Your love is better than life

Your love is Better than life
Your grace and Your mercy Is better than life
Your kindness, Lord Is better than life

I have to admit, I was never a big fan of rain, even though I grew up on the western side of the state. However, lately in my life, God has repeatedly brought to mind the idea of his grace and his mercy falling like rain. (I love how God uses things we can wrap our minds around to teach us.) If you’ve ever been caught outside during a heavy rain, you know how the rain can permeate everything. Any significant amount of time without shelter or Gore-Tex and you begin to feel like even your skin has been saturated with the rain. That’s how much I want God’s grace and mercy to be in my life. And God wants to be a downpour in our lives!

My prayer today is that we know the rain of his cleansing flood. That we feel the healing waters rise. That we cry out to Jesus. That his kindness in fact does lead us to repentance. That he meets us, wherever we are. And that we can say his love, grace, mercy, and kindness are better than life.

Let it rain!

Cristin

Reading #30 (audio)