Title: God's Mercy
God's Mercy
Psalm 103:8
“The Lord is righteous and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.”
At Moody Chapel in Chicago, USA, the slogan “God loves you” is posted above the pulpit. One day, a poorly dressed man was passing in front of the church and glanced inside. Seeing the slogan, he began to swear. ‘A naughty, bad guy like me will be an exception! How can God love me!’ Then, suddenly, I had a desire to enter the church. I walked into the middle passage, staring intently at the words. Just then, Moody was coming in through the other aisle. The two talked and began to pray. Finally, the man cried out with joy, knowing that God loved him too. ‘God loves me!’
One of the main reasons people don't come to church is because they feel they are sinners. Even if no one teaches you, the guilt within you is what makes you have this atrophied attitude. But God is merciful. When he sees our sins, he does not immediately pour out his anger. Instead, it is God who poured out his wrath on his Son Jesus and saved us.
“But God, in his mercy, forgave iniquity, and did not destroy it, but turned away his wrath many times, and did not provoke all of him” (Psalm 78:38).
Jewish legend says that just before God created man, he consulted with the angels around his throne. The angel of justice said you shouldn't make a man. The reason was: “Because if you make a man, he will do all kinds of wickedness against his fellow men, and the world will be filled with injustice, because man is hardened and cruel and dishonest.”
Then the angel of truth protested and said, “Do not make a man. He will be deceived and will deceive his brothers and even deceive you, God.” Even the angel of holiness said, “Never make a man. He will profane your name in your presence.”
This time, God's most beloved angel of mercy takes a step forward and says, “Our heavenly Father, make man. When he sins and strays from the path of justice, truth and holiness, I will embrace him with a gentle hand and speak to him in a loving voice and bring him back to you.”
Indeed it is. I totally agree with the angel of mercy. We humans are totally depraved and corrupt creatures. Human beings are incapable of reaching God by their own strength. But a merciful God forgives our sins, covers our transgressions, and forgives our mistakes.
Even if we have already made an irreversible mistake, God's mercy never gives up on us. Turn from your sinful ways and ask for God's mercy. If you can't stop yourself, ask God for help. God does not want us to suffer in our sins. I hope that we will melt our frozen hearts in the mercy of the Lord and become living in the Lord again.
“To the merciful you show your mercy; to the perfect you show your perfection” (Psalm 18:25).
A man lived in the mountains with his young daughter, tending sheep. One day, a father and daughter were looking for a lost sheep when they found the sheep caught in a thorn tree and struggling to get out. They carefully removed the sheep from the thorns, but the sheep had already been scratched and wounded in several places. Seeing the wounds and scratches in many places, the little girl wept because the sheep was so pitiful and said to her father:
"Dad, I hate that tree. I'll cut it down."
The next day, father and daughter went there with axes to cut down the thorns. As she approached the tree, she saw a little bird perched on the thorn, and pecking at the hairs the sheep had left behind as it scraped the thorns with its small beak. The little bird had a beak full of fur and flew away. The little daughter looked closely at this and said to her father.
"Dad, I think I can see why God makes thorns grow here. The thorns in the trees are what gathers the soft fur that little birds can build their homes on."
In fact, Mother Nature is working in harmony with each other to achieve God's purpose. How angry would it be if weeds were the result of our hard work and hard work? But the Lord does not want to uproot or cut down the weeds or thorns. Because there is someone else who will judge at the end of the world, it is our job today to hold in our arms all the thorns and tares, our brothers and sisters who have suffered from setbacks, failures, and sins, and wait for our Lord to reward us someday. will be Mercy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and as God is merciful with compassion and compassion, we should also show mercy to our neighbors.
“Be merciful as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).
The old stone tablets of Wibeck Church in Germany are engraved with the words 'The Lord speaks to us' by an unknown author.
“You call me Lord, but you do not follow me; you call me the light, but do not look up; you call me the way, but do not walk; you call me life, but do not depend; you call me prudence, but do not learn; you call me clean, but do not love; you call me rich, but You call it eternity, but you do not seek it, you call it eternity, but you do not seek it, you say you are young, but you do not ask, you say you are noble, but you do not serve, you say you are great but do not respect you, you call yourself righteous but you do not fear.
This is an article that shows the difference between what you confess with your lips and what you actually do. Just as a person who is not in harmony with each other in the world cannot live completely, even before God, a person whose words and actions do not match cannot live. And yet, we exist today because God is merciful and gracious. Let's listen and obey the voice of God who looks at us and rebukes us. Because the Lord is merciful, He has compassion on us. Don't pretend to be nice to the Lord. I believe that the nation and people who are pityed will be blessed, and that miracles will happen to the families that receive pity. Let us give thanks and praise to God for His mercy and grace.
* Prayer: Merciful God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I believe that Christ died for me and that His precious blood washed away all my sins. I trust in Christ for the salvation of my soul, so by believing the word now, I bring into my heart the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Help me to do your will every day. May you live in the grace of the Lord who gives you true peace and rest and fulfill your mission. Please guide us so that our confession to God is in harmony with our lives. Praise God for His mercy and love. I pray in the name of my precious Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for me. Amen.