"Knowing God - III"

God is compassionate and merciful. He is generous beyond words with lovingkindness. God revealed Himself to Moses, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps His lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin..." (Ex. 34:6-7) In the wilderness, a land of nothing, God's people were abundantly supplied and pardoned over and over, even in their rebellion. Isaiah speaks of God that "He will abundantly pardon." (Isa. 55:7) God reveals through Micah about His delight in extending to others His unchanging love (Micah 7:18). Paul speaks of God "being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us." (Eph. 2:4) Peter speaks of us having received His mercy (I Pet. 2:10). John speaks of the great love of God toward us that He calls us His children (I John 3:1) The Hebrew writer speaks of us drawing near to God's throne of grace to receive His mercy (Heb. 4:16). Paul reminded the Gentile Christian (and us) that the mercy shown to us by God is to show that mercy to others (Rom. 11:30-31).

With such a quick glimpse of God, it is reassuring to us that our God is like this. Time after time we must call on Him for His compassion and mercy to be extended in our failure. Jesus explains the heart of God to Peter, face to face, of a man that was unable to pay a debt of such magnitude, but the Master (God) abundantly pardoned (Matt. 18:21-35). What are we to do with all this? How does just a small glimpse of God affect our lives? Sadly to say, for many, not much. I am speaking to those in Christ. We take God's heart of mercy and lovingkindness and withhold it from others who have hurt us. We deny others the very thing we do not want God to deny us! Grudges, bitterness take hold in the heart and carries us into a world not like God's. Asaph, who wrote several of the Psalms, admits that he almost slipped and plunged himself into ruin because of his attitude toward those who seem to live so wicked, yet are so blessed (Psa. 73). He wanted what he thought was justice, having forgotten the great mercy God had shown him.

Don't we do the same? We easily become offended at someone, withholding good from them because they hurt us. What if God did that to us? How selfish are we? How self consumed are we at times? We speak of the mercy and compassion of God when it is convenient but in reality, we aren't quick to extend that to others. What did Jesus reveal about those who do not continue to forgive and offer mercy (even when it is not asked for)? "You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?" (Matt. 18:32-33) Maybe, just maybe we really don't know our God!