The Mercy of God
The Mercy of God
You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, rich in faithful love to all who call on You. (Ps. 86:5)
Recognizing His Mercy
Psalm 86:5 assures us that God is “rich in faithful love.” This faithful love is a merciful love—meaning we don’t receive what we deserve (punishment) but rather the opposite (pardon and restoration). God in His great mercy has rescued us from our sinful, sorry, helpless condition and given us a whole new life in Christ.
Ephesians 2:4–5 puts it this way: “God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” Like the magnificent Niagara Falls, the mercy of God overflows freely and continually for us.
Demonstrating His Mercy
Did you know that in the natural world vicious wolves show mercy? When a wolf realizes he is losing a fight, he will expose his throat to the victor, who permits the weaker wolf to live. That’s mercy, but it pales in comparison to God’s mercy toward us. And because we have received such mercy, we should show mercy to others.
Does someone in your life right now need mercy? A suffering brother? A financially afflicted friend? Jesus said, “The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt. 5:7). And we all need mercy, don’t we? God is pleased when we show mercy to others because He has shown such great mercy to us.
Bottom Line
The cross of Christ displays God’s justice toward sin and His mercy toward the sinner.