For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Deuteronomy 4:31 (NIV)
By His own inclination, our God is a merciful God. Slow to anger and abounding in love, His grace and mercy running freely from His heart, creating a perpetual, flowing stream. Mercy is the delight of His soul. Who would not be encouraged to come to such a God as this? He does not treat us as our sins deserve – He will never turn away from a broken, repentant and contrite heart rather He keeps His eye focused for the return of the prodigal, running to him when he sees them turn. God inclines His hand towards Mercy as it is part of His nature – taking no pleasure in judgment. Indeed, judgment is “His strange work”.
We must not think little of God’s mercy for it is as great as the power which He wields. And there is much advantage to the soul that maintains the correct estimate of His great mercy and love, knowing in His rightful justice we all fall short of the mark. Our affections will follow closely when we dwell on His goodness. Over and over again in Scripture we see God staying His Hand towards sinners such as we. Remember God is for us – not against us. His Law with its constraints brings us true freedom and it is His desire that we walk in them for our own good. It is in our disobedience to His revealed will which leads to our bondage.
When we reflect on His mercy, goodness and love, our thoughts of Him will be sweeter, more glorious and beautifully awe-inspiring – enabling us to love Him deeper and delight in Him greater. Equipping us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all our soul and with all your mind” as Jesus stated in Matthew 22:37 (NIV). Our God is infinitely good. When God becomes more beautiful to us it will produce growth in our relationship with Him fueling a desire to love Him further still – and there is no end to the depth of His love and mercy.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. Psalms 103:8-14 (NIV)