whATTRIBUTES: Attributes of a Loving God
MERCIFUL ONE
February 21st, 2022
Psalm 51:1-7, 11: ‘Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down. You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life. Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life…Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me.’ (MSG)
Have you ever had something that was important to you that got stained or blemished? Maybe you spilled something on yourself accidentally and it left an uncleanable stain. Perhaps someone borrowed something from you and ruined it. What about a cracked screen on your phone or computer? Maybe even you had a relationship that became blemished and was deemed irreparable. How frustrating and disheartening when you realized that what was important no longer held the same meaning or value because of it seeming contaminated. I don’t know about you, but to me it’s often then ruined, and I either will never wear it or use it again, and I certainly never look at it the same.
I was reminded recently of what a merciful God I have Who commuted my death sentence and brought me back from the throes of disaster and unending life separated from Him by death. Instead of throwing me out like I so often do with anything I consider ruined, blemished, stained or broken, He brought me back; He rescued me; He redeemed me; He is restoring me. He has soaked me in the spot remover of His love, scrubbed me clean with the cleansing power of His forgiveness, and He has set me in a beautiful and holy place so I can renew and begin fresh with His perspective. What a Merciful God!
Ex 3:13-14, ‘Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (NIV)
