All in Mercy
Do you give much thought to the mercy of God, and what He does for us in this regard every day? Sometimes we look at a chain of “fortunate” occurrences and think we were “lucky”, but that discounts the ever present hand of God in our lives. Today let’s contemplate the mercy of God.
Do you suffer and not understand why God allows it to happen? Do you experience misery in your life, or see it in others, and ask God in prayer to remove this from you, or from those you intercede for in prayer? Well, as men it is natural for us to wince and withdraw from pain, but as faithful creatures it brings us to perfection in our faith, obedience, and prayers for the suffering and afflicted. How perfect are you being made? How perfect are your prayers?
Are you dying because of the sin in your life? Perhaps you say no, but do you say this too quickly, having become so accustomed to the subtle sins that you hardly notice them? Our bold sins make an impression on us, and frighten us, but the tiny sins often pass by unnoticed, and yet kill our faith none the less... dragging our faithfulness down like exhaustion drowns a swimmer; slowly draining him of energy until at last his head slips beneath the water.
Is your life full of hardship and adversity right now? Are you going through the gates of sorrow, or crossing a desert in which you are feeling lost and parched? Perhaps it is illness, mourning, or some other wrenching moment! If so, then are you tempted to lash out at God and ask Him why, or to look for Jesus and cry out “Where Are You?” Sometimes we feel like we are being punished when nothing could be further from the truth.
Are you strong enough to adhere to God’s commandments? Do you have sufficient strength to rise above the world and achieve great righteousness? Well, you may be strong in comparison to other men, but in God’s eyes you are a weakling, and in truth, you need the strength of Jesus in order to perfect yourself, and even then we challenge Him.
Who will join us in heaven, and will We recognize them with a hug, and a holy kiss, embracing them as equal believers and loving them as fellow Sons and Daughters of God? We say that we look forward to that day when we will dine at the table of God, but do we really? Are we ready to lovingly walk those streets, and are there similarities between them and the streets of our town that we walk today?
What will we look like in heaven? I have heard that question many times, and heard it put in many different ways. Young healthy people ask it in curiosity, and the aged or infirmed ask it in fear, or dread. Can we really know? Let’s explore some scripture regarding our redemption bodies.
I read this week about realizing the depth of our sins, but it took a different view of them, and turned the depravity of our wrongdoing from the heartbreak of remorse into the amazing heights to which they are raised by our forgiveness. This author encouraged those with the darkest of sins to confess them, repent from them, and ask the Lord for forgiveness because the love they would feel between themselves and God at the moment of their relief would be amazingly great.
Do you stand at the ready, listening for God’s voice? Do you wait upon the Lord in this manner? We know instinctively that God is with us always, but sometimes we forget that He isn’t just there... He is also waiting to hear our voice. When we cry out to Him, when we joyfully sing to Him, when our pain and suffering leaves our throat in sorrowful moans... He waits on us. As we speak to Him in prayer He responds in Mercy, and yes, in judgement.
Do you fret over the condition of the country and this world? Do you wring your hands and cry out “Lord! Lord! Look at what is being done and the harm there is to your people!” Well if you do, then stop! Ours is to trust in Him who created all things, and to leave princes and principalities to He who established them. We are like the grasses that cover the earth. We may brown with drought, but we have faith in the showers. The trees will wither and die, but the grass returns with the rain, dark clouds and lightning are the harbinger of mercy.