Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
Micah 7:18
True love doesn’t stay mad for long. Think about the last time you got mad at something someone in your family did. Your anger was based in your feelings of hurt. Something they did wasn’t what you expected. You couldn’t believe they would do that. But then, after a little while, you look at them and realize they’re your family, you’re flesh and blood, and while your hurt may remain a while, you forgive them because you love them. The truth is we are all God’s family, and we should have love and mercy for everyone.
If we humans can find the mercy to forgive and go on loving, think about how eternal God’s love must be for His children. As our Father, He hurts when we sin against him or each other. Yet even in our sin, His waves of mercy never stop flowing. He doesn’t cut us off from our eternal inheritance of life in Him. In fact, He doesn’t give His forgiveness begrudgingly, or hesitantly, but delights to show us His mercy. It flows from Heaven in waves.
God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting and nothing or no one can stop its flow to us, but we can stop it from flowing through us to others. God will always find a way to show His mercy to others, but when we build a dam in our emotions not giving His mercy to others we lose a blessing. As you remember His mercy toward you today, won’t you remember that same mercy toward those who have hurt or disappointed you too. Our lives are channels through which the mercy of God flows out to our hurting world. Don’t build a dam in your feelings – let the waves of mercy flow.
Grace and Peace,
+Pastor Brad
Prayer
Merciful Father, thank you for delighting in your unfailing mercy towards me. Help me to unblock any unforgiving feelings, and make me a channel of your mercy to others Amen.
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