I’ve never been surprised by God’s judgment, but I’m still stunned by his grace. God’s judgment has never been a problem for me. In fact, it always seems right. Lightning bolts on Sodom. Fire on Gomorrah. Good job, God! Egyptians swallowed in the Red Sea. They had it coming. Discipline is easy for me to swallow, logical to assimilate. But God’s grace? Anything but.

Examples? How much time do you have? Peter denied Christ before he preached Christ. Zacchaeus, the crook. The cleanest part of his life was the money he’d laundered, but Jesus still had time for him. The thief on the cross – hung-out to die one minute, heaven-bound and smiling the next.

Story after story. Surprise after surprise! Search the pages, read the stories. Find one person who came seeking a second chance and left with a stern lecture. Search. You won’t find it. 

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