Has God rescued you from a life apart from Him? He rescued me in 1971, and I'm so glad He did! He has been my close Companion for more than 50 years. We have walked together through times of sorrow and times of celebration. He has comforted me with His Presence and shown me how to handle whatever life brings. If I had to sum up my life with Him in one sentence, I would say this: God is faithful. Today, let's consider together what the apostle Paul wrote to the congregation at Ephesus:

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved! (Eph. 2:4-5)

Many people think of their salvation as God throwing a lifesaver to rescue a drowning person. But that's not what God really did at all! According to today's passage, you were already dead. Paul says, "we were dead because of our sins." Your lifeless corpse was lying on the bottom of the ocean when God came and got you and breathed life into you. Why would He do such a thing? The clue is found in today's passage, so let's listen to it again:  "But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead." God saved you and He saved me because He is rich in mercy and loves us so much. I encourage you—take time today to praise God for His amazing, wonderful, life-giving grace.

He has rescued you, breathed life into you, and made you His child...and that's very Good News!