Thy Mercy

"But he gives us more grace." James 4:6a

I was meditating on God's very great grace toward me, grace that extends to every believer, and read these words from a favorite Bible teacher, "He is enough.  When you need more, you will have more.  When your woes are great, His grace is greater.  When our sins are vast, His mercy is deep.  We cannot exceed Him.  We cannot outrun Him."

I began to think of how "sin would reduce me to utter despair" if it were not for His mercy, which causes my spirits to revive, over and over again.

It reminded me of this hymn, which has been modernized by Sandra McCracken and recorded by Caedmon's Call and others.  Every single lyric I know, I can sing wholeheartedly.  I looked up the lyrics to double-check my memory and found that there were more lyrics than are included in the modern versions; not surprising since modern songs need to be cut to around 3 minutes or so and all six verses of a hymn sometimes cannot make the cut.  I like the editorial choices that were made, and yet the extra lyrics I could sing just as wholeheartedly.

His free grace alone, from the first to the last, has won my affection and bound my soul fast!


Thy mercy my God is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue.
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affection and bound my soul fast.


Without Thy sweet mercy, I could not live here.
Sin would reduce me to utter despair,
But through Thy free goodness, my spirit's revived
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.


Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart.
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground
And weep for the praise of the mercy I've found.


Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own
In the covenant love of Thy crucified Son.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine 
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.


Amazing grace.  How sweet the sound!