"Less Than The Least..."

artist unknown

"Less than the least of all God's mercies."  These words of the 17-century English poet and clergyman, George Herbert, echo the cry of Jacob as he looks toward a reunion with his brother, Esau (Genesis 32:10):  "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant." (NKJV)

The New Living Translation uses the words "faithfulness" and "unfailing love" in place of "mercies."  The Hebrew word is chesed which means "God's enduring love."  I pray that my heart attitude would be that of Jacob...humble and utterly unworthy of the chesed which God showers upon me every day...that I would remember that everything I bring to God has been completely desecrated by sin...remembering that my hope cannot be in my own worth.  Rather, I must rest in the promises of God.  He promises to rescue.  He promises to deliver.  He promises to save.

Less than the least of all God's mercies...