We Don't Get What We Deserve

As I visited with someone very close to me today, she shared some very heartbreaking news that was going on in her life. It has been on my heart to pray for her all throughout my day since our phone call ended. As I was reflecting on our conversation, I kept thinking of her being concerned about what she had done to deserve what was happening to her as if she were being punished.


God does teach us lessons and He is in the business of setting us straight when we stray from His path. But our Heavenly Father is not in the business of giving us what we deserve. Sometimes it is too easy to forget that we are all filthy sinners and do not deserve the love and attention He gives us. We do not deserve the gift of salvation. We do not deserve His mercy or His GRACE.

What we deserve is punishment. What we deserve is death. Thank God He is in the business of GRACE. He forgives us for all of our sins even though we don’t deserve it. So even though I cannot comfort her by telling her what God’s reasons are for allowing this misfortune, I can clear up one thing and that is that God does not give us what we deserve. He does exactly the opposite; He gives us grace.

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.