Focus: The Mercy of God

Text: Ps.52:8

"But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever."

We are constantly in need of God's mercy. We are finished without the mercy of God. The psalmist says, "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side… If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us" (Ps.124:1,2). God's mercy saves and secures us. God pardons, provides and protects us by His mercy.

One thing you must know is that God is merciful. When He shows us mercy, He is simply being Himself. Mercy is His attribute. It is part of His nature. He is kind and merciful. Lot tells to the Lord, "Thou hast MAGNIFIED thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life" (Gen.19:19). God not only possesses mercy in Himself, but He also magnifies it. You will experience the magnified mercy of God in your life. God is rich in mercy; His wealth of mercy is yours. Abraham's servant said, "Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth" (Gen.24:27). 

A man is a destitute without the mercy of God.

Let us check out the mercy of God. In Numbers 14:18,19, we read, "The LORD is longsuffering, and of GREAT mercy… Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the GREATNESS of thy mercy…" In 1Kings 3:6, we read, "Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father GREAT mercy…" Not only is God's mercy great, but He will show you great mercy. You will experience the greatness of God's mercy.

In Psalm 69:13, we read, "O God, in the MULTITUDE of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation." Psalm 86:5 says, "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and PLENTEOUS in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." God's mercy is multitudinous. It is large and diverse. It is plenteous; they are like a threads twisted together into a very strong single rope. God's mercy is a bunch or cluster of God's variegated love.

The psalmist says, "Thy mercy, O LORD, IS IN THE HEAVENS; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds" (Ps.36:5). The mercy reaches up to heaven from the earth. You can call it, 'God's mercy in heaps.' It's piled up to high heavens. He says again, "For THY mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds" (Ps.57:10). It's huge and heaped up to the skies. It's unfathomable and inexhaustible.

In Psalm 100:5, we read, "For the LORD is good; HIS mercy is EVERLASTING; and his truth endureth to all generations." God's mercy is lasting, not passing. It is timeless and wholly eternal. In Psalm 109:21, the psalmist says, "THY mercy is GOOD, deliver thou me." God's mercy is the best thing that has ever happened to you. It is good and beneficial to you. In Psalm 119:64, we read, "The earth, O LORD, is FULL of thy mercy." Wherever you are in this world, the mercy of God is there. You live in the neighborhood of divine mercy. You are in the vicinity of divine mercy. You are an inch away from the mercy of God. You are right where God's mercy is.

Now, take a look at that little word 'thy' or 'His.' It is God's mercy. Now read again from the psalmist: "The God of MY mercy shall prevent me… For God is my defence, and the God of MY mercy" (Ps.59:10,17). You see also the little word 'my'? God's mercy has become your mercy. God's mercy has your name on it. You can draw your own mercy from the spring or fountain of God's own mercy. As a child of God, what He owns is yours. It's absolutely your privilege to enjoy the abundant mercy of God. The word 'prevent' means 'to precede.' It means that the mercy of God has gone ahead of you. It is before you. But here is the caveat: the book of Jonah says, "They that observe lying vanities forsake their OWN mercy" (Jon.2:8). Those who give themselves over to doing wrong and compromising their lives lose God's mercy with their names on it. 

Don't lose your mercy. Instead of losing the mercy of God, tap from it. The mercy of God is yours. It has limitless blessings in it. Make room for greater experience of the mercy of God in your life. Enjoy the fullness of God's mercy.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter