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In the 1940s and 1950s, New Orleans experienced growth. Unfortunately, access from the north to the city continued to be limited by Lake Pontchartrain. Driving around the lake was a time-consuming effort.
A very specific focus was developed to provide a direct connection across the center of the Lake to the north shore. The Lake Pontchartrain Bridge was built. It is composed of two causeways. The first, opened in 1956, is 23.86 miles long. The second, opened in 1969, runs parallel to the first but is 50 feet longer.
Bridges can have a very specific and meaningful purpose. The same is true spiritually. There is a separation between God and man because of our sin. God's desire is to span that gap. Love is the thing that builds the bridge between the gap that exists in our relationship with God.
God took the time to demonstrate to you His love for you. He did this by allowing Jesus to die for you. The sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross became the bridge that could connect you and God.
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana runs 23.79 miles over open water and is the longest bridge of its kind in the world. The bridge of love that God has made spans across the entire world. God’s amazing love stretches from heaven to you. 🙏🏾

So, what is grace exactly? The Greek word for grace is charis, and it means good will, loving-kindness, and favor. Grace is completely free for you, but it costs God everything. God patiently waits for you to embrace His grace.Let's take a minute and consider God's amazing grace from the days of Noah. Methuselah is the oldest man in the Bible. Methuselah was the grandfather of Noah. In Hebrew, the name Methuselah carries the thought of a dart and death. It means "his death sends."Methuselah was 187-years-old when he had his son Lamech (Genesis 5:25) When Lamech was 182-years-old he had his son Noah (Genesis 5:28) The flood happened in the 600th year of Noah’s life (Genesis 7:11) The math teaches us 187+182+600 = 969. Methuselah died at 969 years old in the year of the flood.Noah preached. He talked about God as he built the ark. God's grace was available to those who heard Noah preach. They had an opportunity to learn about God's grace for many years, but they never earned God's grace.The extended life of Methuselah is a beaming example of God’s patience to extend His grace to you.Please remember that as a child of God, His grace continually renews itself. With each failure, you get to begin again as if you never messed up. Thank Him for His amazing grace.

Yesterday at work, I was talking to a deputy that I know. We talked for a few minutes, and I noticed that his voice was very hoarse and weak. He said, "Anthony, keep me in your prayers; I'm almost fully recovered." I asked him what had happened? "He went on to tell me that he had been pretty sick overnight because he got totally saturated in the rain the previous day, helping a family that was in a bad wreck. Even though he wasn't feeling 100% perfect, he was back in uniform and on duty to serve in his community. Let's take a couple of minutes and consider the thought of being spiritually saturated. When you are a redeemed child of God, you have been saturated with God’s compassion and mercy. The definition of Mercy is, “Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.” God loves you, and He chose to saturate you with His forgiveness and mercy when He became your Savior.I encourage you to sow mercy in every area of your life. Choose to saturate your words with mercy. Let mercy saturate your heart. Let mercy saturate your language. Let mercy saturate your conduct. Let your heart reflect the Mercy of God in all that you do or say. The uncreated God of the Universe has saturated you with His mercy. No matter how you may physically feel today, be on duty for Almighty God by saturating those around you the love and mercy of God. Truthfully, mercy is compassion in action.