The Mercy of God
Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant
of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. (NIV)
What right do we have to be in relationship with God? Didn’t we, by our sins, take part in an
unholy rebellion against God which sought to dethrone Him? Did we not walk in disobedience,
following the patterns of the world? Did we not give in to the lusts of our flesh? Yet we who
deserve banishment, enjoy communion; we who deserve the pains of hell, will know the bliss of
heaven! Why? How? Because of the tender mercy of our God! Mercy is an attribute of God, it is
infinite and inexhaustible. Did you know that the Old Testament has more than four times as much
to say about God’s mercy than the New Testament? We must get out of our head that the Old
Testament is full of God’s justice and judgment and the New Testament is about God’s mercy and
grace! Whether in the Garden of Eden or in the Garden of Gethsemane, God is merciful as well
as just! Divine mercy is not a temporary mood but an attribute of God’s eternal being therefore
we need not fear that He will ever stop being merciful. Forever His mercy stands, a boundless,
overwhelming immensity of divine pity and compassion. To receive mercy we must first know that
God is merciful. It is not enough to know that He showed mercy to Noah, Abraham and David,
we must believe that God’s mercy is boundless and free and through Jesus Christ our Lord, it is
available to us now in our present situation.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time pondering this thought – you deserve to go to hell but you can know the
bliss of heaven because of the mercy of God. What is your response to God? How then
shall you live your life? Is complete submission too much for Him to ask? What areas do
you need to submit to the Lord today as a token of your thankful heart for His mercy?
2. We can only feel the mercy of God to the extent that we see the dreadfulness of the sin in our
lives. How can you grow in knowledge and experience of the mercy of God?
3. Praise God for His mercy, for His forgiveness when we repent!
