Read: Luke 1:46-55
An interesting story appeared in the news recently. For almost 35 years novelty Garfield telephones have been washing ashore along France’s Brittany coast. The phones are orange and look like the cartoon character Garfield. Apparently these novelty phones started to appear in the early 1980’s and kept reappearing year after year even though people were picking them up and discarding of them. At first people thought it was a prank but after 30 years someone finally began to look into the mysterious occurrence.
It turns out that a lost shipping container that fell off a ship had broken open inside a sea cave which is accessible only during low tide. That container is still out of reach which means that these orange colored Garfield phones will continue to show up in the waves along the coast of France in the future as well. If it continues for too much longer these push button phones will be viewed as antiques or foreign objects in our now prevalent cell phone world.
God’s mercy is like that as well. It keeps coming and coming in waves even when we don’t deserve it. In Mary’s Song in Luke 1 she speaks of how God’s mercy extends to those who follow the Lord. In the Message Bible paraphrase verse 50 says, “His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him.” That verse is a reminder of the worship song that says, “Waves of mercy, waves of grace, everywhere I look I see your face.” (Every Move I Make)
Whatever it is in your life that has been weighing you down and keeping you from moving forward, God has a message for you. Come to me for mercy, grace, and forgiveness. It is free when you come to Jesus with a repentant heart and it will continue to flow into your life just like the waves of the ocean continue to make their way to shore. It is something we can always count on. And by the way, if you ordered a Garfield phone in the early 1980’s and it never showed up, you can maybe find it if you head to the coast of France.
Make it Personal: What mistake, sin, or guilt have you been carrying around for years? Jesus wants to forgive you for it and set you free from it. Take it to him and find the freedom you have been looking for. And then the next time you need his mercy, remember, it keeps coming just like the waves.
Have a great week everyone, Pastor Glen Rhodes
