Great is His Mercy

      “[The Lord] has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.  For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”  Psalms 103:10-12 NKJV

   Thanks to my husband, Joe, our 12-year-old grandson, William, is a major Godzilla fan.  Over the years, Will has amassed an impressive collection of Godzilla figures, along with many Godzilla-related monsters.  When one of his new figures lost its tail, my son, John, contacted the manufacturer about the problem.  Not only did the company send the new part that his figure needed, but they sent Will an additional figure worth almost two hundred dollars.  Needless to say, John was amazed, and his son was overjoyed.

   William knew right away that it was God who provided him with the new figure at no cost.  When I asked him if he had any idea why the Lord would do such a thing, he responded, “I don’t know.  It’s not because I deserved it.”  My first thought after hearing his answer was, “This child understands God’s grace better than most adult Christians do!”

   As I pondered these things, the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance some verses from Psalm 103: “[The Lord] has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.  For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (v. 10-13 NKJV)  I love how the NIV translation says, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve.”  Think about that.  “So great is His mercy toward [us],” that He will never “treat us as our sins deserve.”   We may make some mistakes, and we may have to experience some natural consequences of our poor choices, but God will walk through the valleys with us, and cause even our mistakes to work together for our good. (Romans 8:28)  Hallelujah!

   My grandson, William, loves God with all of his heart, and wants to please Him.  But he doesn’t do everything right.  Even so, the Lord did “exceedingly abundantly” above Will’s expectations because of His great mercy. (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV)  And He will do the same for YOU, as you live your life for Him!

   Lord, when I am worried, concerned, or confused, help me to keep my mind and heart focused on You and Your promises, instead of the problem.  Make Yourself real to me now in healing, comforting, and life-changing ways.  Remind me often that because of my faith in You, and my reverence for You, You will never treat me as my sins deserve.  Thank You that as I live a Christ-centered life, I will continually experience the greatness of Your mercy!

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