Advent - "M" -" Mercy of our Mighty God"

December 12, 2011

“It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

“For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given….and His name shall be called Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6).

Throughout the history of time we have known our God to be a Mighty God of mercy. Beginning when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, it was the Mighty God, the Father, Who extended His mercy. God already had a contingency plan for the fallen couple who had broken the perfect fellowship with their Mighty God by disobedience and rebellion. This plan was called “Operation mercy and grace.”

Grace is mercy’s twin sister, both have the DNA of God’s love. Mercy is different from grace in that “grace” is the Almighty God’s gift to us which we do not deserve; mercy is Almighty God’s restrained justice that we do deserve.

Further through the pages of “His-story,” we again see the Mighty God’s contingency plan at work with the Children of Israel. What blatant disobedience and rebellion they demonstrated after being rescued from Egypt and had been given the Promised Land. After repentance on their part and forgiveness on the Mighty God’s part, He must vindicate the break between their sinfulness and His holiness, time after time, after time, He extended His mercy. Just as the Mighty God, extended His mercy to the Israelites when He brought them out of Egypt, He is able and willing to do it again for us today.

Look at the story of Jonah and how the Mighty God even in Jonah’s continued "pity-party," brought him, by mercy, from the "jaws of death" to life of an evangelist, (though still reluctant). And look at the mercies of the Mighty God extended in the lives of Lot, Sarah, Moses, David, Peter, Paul and we could go on and on.

We all in some ways and to some degree have been, and maybe still are, disobedient and rebellious, but the Mighty God with His hand of mercy has reached out to us and all we have to do is turn around, grab it and hold on. Everyone has that "hand of mercy" extended toward them, but all do not turn and lay hold of it. I believe that is why Jesus was so grieved over Jerusalem when He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murdering the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a mother fowl gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! (Matthew 23:37)

God’s mercy is a mystery – why would a holy and Mighty God want to restrain His hand of justice toward us disobedient and rebellious people? LOVE! Think of the significance of the cross – what mercy and what grace and what love!

“There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” (Frederick W. Faber)

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy like the wideness of the sea. There’s a kindness in His justice which is more than liberty.

There is welcome for the sinner and more races for the good;
There is mercy with the Savior, there is healing in His Blood. />