God’s mercy is AMAZING! Charles Spurgeon said:
“There is nothing little in God; His mercy is like Himself—it is infinite. You cannot measure it. His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners, after great lengths of time, and then gives great favors and great privileges, and raises us up to great enjoyments in the great heaven of the great God.”
In the Bible, Daniel called on God’s mercy:
We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your Name. (Daniel 9:18, 19)
Mercy, simply put, is not getting the punishment we deserve. I am so grateful for God’s mercy which is new every morning. I need it.
But mercy is not something to be treated lightly. Mercy requires something of its recipient. In the verses preceding Daniel’s prayer, notice the use of the word YET:
- All this disaster has come upon us, YET we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to Your truth (v. 13).
- The Lord our God is righteous in everything He does; YET we have not obeyed Him (v. 14).
If we receive God’s gift of mercy and YET do not change, we repudiate that mercy. In other words, it’s a slap in the face of God to not receive the penalty for our sins, and YET continue to live the same way.
My friend, if you have received God’s mercy gift turn from your old ways, give attention to His truth, and obey Him. This is the only way to show proper appreciation to our just God for His incredible mercy.
Craig T. Owens 