Loving Mercy

Read: Deuteronomy 5: 7-10

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 NKJV

None of us are, nor will we ever be, worthy of God’s love; and that’s the Good News! We can do nothing to earn His love and nothing to lose it. It’s a free gift! Tender mercy is the aspect of God's love that causes Him to help us when we break His law or are drowning in our circumstances. Mercy triumphs over the deserved retribution for our behavior, which condemns us to hell.

God’s great mercy saved us and allows us to approach His throne boldly to find grace in our time of need. We have every reason to trust in God’s mercy, which surrounds us and follows us all the days of our lives. He makes our paths full of mercy, so that we can rejoice and sing praises to His name. God’s abundant mercy is just a call away and comes in spite of the fact that we do not deserve it and never, EVER will!

Prayer ~ Lord, if my foot slips, Your mercy will hold me up. Multiply to us Your mercy, peace, and love.

Thought for the Day ~ God takes pleasure in those who hope in His mercy.

God's Abiding Love

Read: I John 4: 8-12

“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV)

Did you ever notice that even with just two commandments, we have a hard time keeping either one of them? The Bible teaches us that since God’s love abides in us, His love has been perfected in us. God forgave us and loved us while we were still sinners, and He gave us His example to follow.

After salvation, His love abides within us. We can more readily keep these two commandments. It is possible for us to love God and our neighbor, as well as our self. Even if my carnal nature gets in the way of my obedience to these commands, Agape’s love within me will do the job much better than I could ever imagine. As I put my feelings and prejudices aside, Christ will love even the most indigent of humans through my feeble actions.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, let us pour out Your love to those in our family, neighborhood, workplace, community and church. You loved us without conditions and undeservedly. Help us to allow You to share Your love through us without restraint! 

Thought for the Day:

God’s love in us is the anchor for a world adrift in the sea of suffering.

Why is Jesus Waiting to Return?

(Published in Penned From the Heart - 2011)

Read: 2 Peter 3:4-10

“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” - 1 John 2:28 (NKJV)

Those in Peter’s day had the same question people do today. When will Christ return? Scoffers like to ridicule faithful Christians about our predictions of this blessed event. Peter answered their question by explaining that time has no relevance for the Lord.

Newton may have discovered the laws of nature, but God set them all into motion. He even set up His calendar of events before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2). God sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and His Word predicts the damnable results of our human choices.

Therefore, His patience prevents Him from returning until the cup of His wrath is full (Revelation 14:10; Romans 2:5). He is actually unwilling for anyone to suffer the torments of hell forever. Now, when people complain to me that my God does not keep His promises, I remind them that God loves them too much to come too soon.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank You for Your inclusive patience and unfailing grace.
Teach us not to grow weary in doing good, but to look forward to
Your imminent return as we continue telling others about Your eternal love.

Thought for the Day:

God loves us the most when we deserve it the least.