I Peter 1:3-12 - "Overwhelmed"

I've been sleeping a lot with this "bug" that has taken over our home.  Every time I woke up yesterday and throughout the night I had "Overwhelmed" in my mind.  One part in particular was very strong…

God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed by You

"Unashamed because of mercy…"  According to the dictionary, mercy means "Compassionate treatment…A disposition to be kind and forgiving…a blessing."  The Lord showed mercy to us through His death and resurrection so that we may live.  The words to this song tell us we don't have to be ashamed of anything we may have done in the past.  When we run to Him, accept Him, and allow Him to be the Lord of Lords in our life, we will be overwhelmed with His love but never do we have to feel ashamed.  He takes that from us when He wipes our slates clean.  As we allow Him to love on us, He will change us in ways we never thought possible.  

I read from I Peter 1 this morning….

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder that I don't have to be ashamed of my past.  Thank You for loving me enough to wipe my slate clean.  Thank You for the hope of eternal life with You.  Woo hoo!  You are so awesome, Lord.  I pray for more people to find You.  I pray for those that know You to go into a deeper relationship with You.  Father, open eyes to the freedom that comes with a life with You.  Open hearts to more of You.  Thank You Jesus for being The One To Overwhelm Me.  Amen.