07/08/2022
He Cried to God for Mercy: How God's Amazing Grace Redeemed John Newton
John Newton was an only child whose mother died when he was only seven years old. He became a sailor and went out to sea at 11 years old. As he grew up, he became the captain of a slave ship and had an active hand in the horrible degradation and inhumanity of the slave trade.
But when he was 23 years old, on March 10, 1748, when his ship was in imminent danger of sinking off the coast of Newfoundland, he cried to God for mercy, and God's mercy found him.
He never forgot how amazing it was that God had received him, as bad as he was. To keep it fresh in his memory, he fastened across the wall over the fireplace mantel of his study the words of Deuteronomy 15:15: "Remember that you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you!"
He went on to write probably the world's most popular hymn in the world, Amazing Grace.
John Newton found mercy when he needed it. It doesn't matter how bad we think we are, if we cry out to God for mercy in sincerity of heart, even in our badness, God will hear us.
And oh, if we keep fresh in our mind what we once were, and what we are now in Jesus Christ, we will stay the course.
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