"Bless the Lord, O my soul, . . . Who crowns you with loving-kindness and compassion." (Psalm 103:1, 4) The God we serve is sovereign and therefore is ruler over our lives. So when we feel relief, it is God that has given it to us. He is the author of relief. I think of the word "relief" as a good synonym for "mercy." Mercy is God's active compassion, which He demonstrates to the miserable. When we are in a time of deep distress, we experience mercy because of God's compassion that brings us relief. The connecting link between sinful man and a holy God is His love, which activates His grace, which, in turn, sets in motion His mercy. Sort of like divine dominoes that bump up against one another. He loves us not because of anything in us, but because of something in Himself. Grace prompts mercy . . . and there it is: relief!
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