Our Merciful and Gracious God
Many people think of the God of the Bible as harsh and condemning. Nothing could be farther from the truth. That is a lie of Satan for people who do not know the Word of God. He plants that picture in their hearts, and then the world system and the media reinforce that concept of the One True God. David gave us a very clear picture of God's nature, and there are many examples in the Bible to prove each of these things. (Psalm 87:15) Notice how each one is so true.
God is merciful. He never punishes us as much as we deserve to be punished. That is the definition of being merciful. All of us are sinners. We all deserve punishment for every sin we commit, because we choose to do things our way and to ignore the conviction of the Spirit to show us sin and righteousness. (John 16:8-11) Often, God goes easy on us because of His love, so He is merciful.
God is gracious. He always gives us more than we deserve. We always have more blessings than we can count, and often, we are not thankful for nearly all of them. All we have is from God. If we use it wisely, and honor Him in how we use it and give it, He makes it more than enough. This is true of our health, our energy, and all of the things He supplies.
God is slow to anger. He does not blow up at us in rage, even when we go against Him. Instead He is abounding in steadfast love. He can't do anything else but act in love, since He is love. His love is very steadfast. He never stops loving us, and He loves everyone, even those who do not love and follow Him. In fact, He abounds in faithfulness, too. There is nothing He has promised that He does not fulfill. The sun comes up each morning. He takes care of us in that He gives rain to the just and the unjust. Our God is truly merciful and gracious all the time for everyone in the world.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 88-91.
God is merciful. He never punishes us as much as we deserve to be punished. That is the definition of being merciful. All of us are sinners. We all deserve punishment for every sin we commit, because we choose to do things our way and to ignore the conviction of the Spirit to show us sin and righteousness. (John 16:8-11) Often, God goes easy on us because of His love, so He is merciful.
God is gracious. He always gives us more than we deserve. We always have more blessings than we can count, and often, we are not thankful for nearly all of them. All we have is from God. If we use it wisely, and honor Him in how we use it and give it, He makes it more than enough. This is true of our health, our energy, and all of the things He supplies.
God is slow to anger. He does not blow up at us in rage, even when we go against Him. Instead He is abounding in steadfast love. He can't do anything else but act in love, since He is love. His love is very steadfast. He never stops loving us, and He loves everyone, even those who do not love and follow Him. In fact, He abounds in faithfulness, too. There is nothing He has promised that He does not fulfill. The sun comes up each morning. He takes care of us in that He gives rain to the just and the unjust. Our God is truly merciful and gracious all the time for everyone in the world.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 88-91.