mercy

"O Lord God, just Judge, strong and patient. You who know the weakness and depravity of men. Be my strength and all my confidence, for my own conscience is not sufficient for me. You know what I do not know, and therefore, I ought to humble myself whenever I am accused and bear it meekly. Forgive me, then in Your mercy for my every failure in this regard, and give me once more the grace of greater endurance. Better to me is Your abundant mercy in obtaining pardon than the justice which I imagine in defending the secrets of my conscience. And though I am not conscious to myself of any fault, yet I cannot thereby justify myself, because without Your mercy, no man living will be justified in Your sight." ~From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas 'a Kempis.

draw near

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. ~James 4: 8-10 [NIV]

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"Man draws nearer to God in proportion as he withdraws farther from all earthly comfort. And he ascends higher to God as he descends lower into himself and grows more vile in his own eyes. He who attributes any good to himself hinders God's grace from coming into his heart, for the grace of the Holy Spirit seeks always the humble heart." ~From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a' Kempis


Draw Me Close To You as recorded by The Katinas