God of Mercy and Grace
“The Lord shows mercy and is kind. He does not become angry quickly, and he has great love. He will not always accuse us, and he will not be angry forever. He has not punished us as our sins should be punished; he has not repaid us for the evil we have done. As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is his love for those who respect him. He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from west. The Lord has mercy on those who respect him, as a father has mercy on his children.” – Psalm 103:8-13
Our God in heaven is a God of mercy and grace. The Psalmist expresses God's character in Psalm 103:8-13. He tells us how merciful and full of grace God really is. He has been from the beginning. For an example, look at Adam and Eve when God told them, “You must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will die (Genesis 2:17)!” They did not listen, and what did they do? They ate from the tree despite God's warning (Genesis 3:6). Luckily for them, He showed them grace and mercy by not allowing them to die (Genesis 3:16-19). What a great God of mercy and grace!
God also showed mercy to the Ninevites in the book of Jonah. Instead of destroying the people for their wickedness, He gave them another chance to change by sending Jonah to warn them to stop. If they did not stop doing wicked things, then God would punish them. Along with His mercy and grace, He was very patient with them. He is patient because He does not want anyone to perish which involves death, but wants people to repent and change (2 Peter 3:9).
The real reason people have to die is because of sin. Sin started with Adam and Eve’s disobedience and is still around today. God knows we are sinners that need His mercy and grace. When we repent and change, sin does not have the same control in our lives since God forgives us and forgets what we have done. This type of grace and mercy is like no other and extends beyond the grave. Jesus’ sacrifice allows us to receive eternal life in heaven and it is all because of God's mercy and grace.
Prayer of the day:
Dear heavenly Father,
You are a God of mercy and grace. Your kindness extends beyond our understanding. We could never go to heaven without it. Please help us to recognize how wonderful it is. Thank you for allowing us to experience Your mercy and grace every day. You deserve all the honor and glory forever and ever, Amen!
