November 26, 2024

Merciful, Merciful, Merciful God

October 25, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love.
He will not always accuse us or be angry forever.
He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our offenses.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His faithful love toward 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 what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.
Psalms 103:8-14 HCSB

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

What a merciful, merciful, merciful God
What a merciful, merciful, merciful God
What a merciful, merciful, merciful God You are
You are

You are so gentle
You are forgiving
You hold me close to Your heart

When I am distant
You show me mercy
You bring me close to Your heart

Written by Terry and Randy Butler/ Vineyard Music

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Our Compassionate, Merciful God

October 24, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and plenteous
in mercy and loving-kindness.
Psalm 103:8

There is one word in this passage that stuck out to me—compassion (or merciful). In verse 8, we read that the Lord ‘is compassionate’ (merciful) and in verse 13, it says that He “has compassion” (or mercy or pity). I often find it so very helpful, when studying the Scriptures, to read a particular verse or passage in a number of different Bible versions. (Do you find that true, too?) It always brings about a more complete understanding…at least to me. I would like to let you experience this in reference to one of the verses in the section we have been focusing on this week here on the Seeking Him devotional blog. My favorite version for studying is the Amplified Bible version; so I’ll start there…

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness.

NIV
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

NLT
The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

ESV
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

NASB
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

KJV
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

HCSB
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love.

ISV
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, patient, and abundantly rich in gracious love.

ASV
Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.

DBT
Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness.

Webster’s
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.

YLT
Merciful and gracious is Jehovah, slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.

Each of these versions (and, of course, there are more!) communicate basically the same thing…but some add just a further bit of information or inflection.  After reading through these, I was left praising God Who is ‘compassionate and merciful and gracious’ and abundantly rich in steadfast, unfailing, in loving-kindness’!  How great is our God!!!

The Strong’s concordance uses the following words to biblically define ‘compassion/merciful’ as used in verse 8:  to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion. And listen to this tidbit of insight:  this word (rachuwm, pronounced ‘rakh-oom’) is used only 13 times throughout the OT and

Here is the very first occurrence of this word in the Bible.

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed,
The Lord! the Lord! a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth.
Exodus 34:6

Almighty God declared Himself ‘…the compassionate and merciful God…’ during His encounter with Moses on Mount Sinai.

No doubt God had already proven Himself VERY compassionate, merciful, and gracious towards the children of Israel!  Remember this is the account where He allows Moses to redo the two tablets on which had been the commandments which God had written and given to Moses.  (Here’s a link to go read this passage.)  While Moses and Joshua were up on the mountain receiving God’s commands, the people had chosen to turn back to their idolatrous ways and had made a golden calf and were worshipping this idol.   Upon his return, Moses became so disgusted and angry with them that he threw the tablets on the ground and broke them to smithereens!  (NOT good!)  Moses pleaded with the Lord and interceded on behalf of the Israelites.  And ‘the compassionate and merciful God’ relented and gave them yet another chance to repent and obey.  This shows the magnitude of the Lord’s mercy, compassion, and grace!

So what does this mean to us…some 3,000+ years later? It means everything…because God does not, can not, will not change. He is the same “God of compassion and mercy…slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” as He was then.

For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed…
Malachi 3:6

I pray that each of us would hold fast and cling to this truth, and give much praise to our great God Who is the God of compassion and mercy!

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Here is a link  if you would like to study this verse and the usage of ‘compassionate/merciful’ in describing the Lord God Who IS oh-so-very merciful and compassionate.

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Mercy

October 23, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
Psalms 103:8-14

Can God love us anymore than He already does?  Yes, He could.  When we surrender all that we have to our Lord and King, He would love us greatly.  All we need to do is live in Him and walk daily.  Is this easy?  No, it is not.  Do you feel like you are properly equipped to live life on your own?  Not always.  I feel sometimes, even with the Bible as a guide, that I miss what God has for me.  I know God is there. Sometimes I feel that I have stumbled upon what I should do by accident. Sometimes, I have felt that I got it right and even hear God’s voice, in a whisper, tell me so.

When I make myself be quiet and sit outside to hear nature…to listen to the wind…I can hear him.  And it is hard to sit still.  I have to tell my mind to be quiet, to be still, to not run down the long laundry list of things that I need to do.  That is when I can relax and meditate on the good He has done in my life.  That is when I can see where He has proctected me, even when I did not see or know what He was doing. But then I have chosen to have faith in my God.  I have chosen to know that He is supreme and my Ultimate Protector.  I have chosen to know that He is my Shield and my Rock.

 

 

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Slow to Anger…Quick to Love

October 22, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

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.
Psalms 103:8-10

As a parent, I often find it hard not to grow angry or frustrated when my kids do something (or keep doing something) after I or their father have instructed them not to keep doing whatever they are doing.  I love my kids.  I love them to the moon and back.  I am usually slow to anger.  However, after a stressful day, I find that I am quicker to be angry than usual.  That is all part of being human.

Know this, my beloved brothers:
let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 1:19-20

God is the perfect example of what a loving parent should be.  He is:

  • quick to hear and patiently listens to our requests and confessions
  • careful in His answers to our prayers
  • patient, loving, and kind
  • puts up with a lot from us, but yet He still loves us

We, as humans, are not in any way getting the punishment or rejection that we deserve.  Many of us have rejected our heavenly Father, but He still does not punish or reject us.  He loves us in a way that we will probably never understand. Thanks to Jesus we will not receive the punishment that we deserve for sinning against God.

God does not harbor His anger His children.  He does not hold a grudge—like so many people do.  He does not hold our sins against us.  Instead, God forgives us and loves us.  He welcomes us back with open arms and helps us learn from our mistakes.

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Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for being slow to anger and always loving. We are so thankful that You do not hold a grudge against us. Your love is wonderful and compassionate. Because You love us so much, we do not have to worry about the wrathful punishment that awaits those who have rejected You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Justice, Mercy, and Grace

October 21, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love.
He will not always accuse us or be angry forever.
He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward 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 what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.
Psalm 103:8-14 HCSB

“Justice is getting what you deserve.
Mercy is NOT getting what you deserve.
Grace is getting what you DON’T deserve”
– Chuck Smith

As I read this passage I was struck by God’s mercy and grace.  Using Chuck Smith’s quote I divided the verses into two categories…Mercy and Grace.

Mercy – withheld punishment
*slow to anger – verse 8
*He will not always accuse us or be angry forever – verse 9
*He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses – verse 10

Grace – unmerited favor
*The Lord is compassionate and gracious, and rich in faithful love – verse 8
*For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him – verse 11
*As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us – verse 12
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him – verse 13

These are the characteristics of God.  As I continued to study this passage a thought kept re-ocurring:  “This is how God deals with me. Is this how I deal with others?”  OUCH!  Here is what I mean:

“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus,” Romans 8:1 (HCSB)…yet, how often are we so quick to condemn others sins? (and often ignore our own.)

“I, even I, am He Who blots out and cancels your transgressions, for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25 (AMP)…yet, how long do we nurse our hurts, our anger or hold a grudge?

“And they will go to others and say, ‘I have sinned, I have perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved.” Job 33:27 (NIV)…yet, how often do we seek retaliation or revenge when we have been wounded?

Now look at these verses:

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?
Does this mean nothing to you?
Romans 2:4 NLT

But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me
as a prime example of His great patience with even the worst sinners.
I Timothy1:16a NLT

So I have to ask myself some hard questions—

  • Do I exhibit the patience and grace God has shown me?
  • Do I offer compassion and love to those around me.
  • Am I forgiving and merciful?

I wish I could answer a resounding YES to these questions. I can not—not in every case. But I can praise God for these qualities I see in Him. I can seek His help as I strive to demonstrate such qualities in my own life. It is the very least I can do, considering all He has done for me.

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Lord, I humbly come before You today, thanking You for being so patient with me. Your mercy and grace are beyond limits. Aid me in reflecting Your character to those around me. Remind me when I am tempted to fall back on my human emotions of all You have done for me. May my life bring honor and glory to You. In Your precious name I ask this, AMEN – It Is So!

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Seventy Times Seven

October 19, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

The LORD is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For He knows how weak we are;
He remembers we are only dust.
Psalm 103:8-14 NLT

Forgiveness is a big deal in the Christian faith.  We are saved because God loves us so much that He forgives us of our sins.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous.
He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Romans 3:23-24

Nothing more, nothing less.  We can easily forget that we are freely forgiven our sins— especially, in comparison to forgiving others.  Forgiveness gives you more healing than it does the offender, and it hurts you more than the offender when you don’t forgive.  However, the point I want to focus on is that God freely forgives us, so we should freely forgive others.

I’d like to point out that God didn’t forgive a few sins, or some sins, but all our sins.

You were dead because of your sins because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.
Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins.
He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the Cross.
Colossians 2:13-14

We all have had something done to us that could warrant unforgiveness.  But if God Almighty, the Creator betrayed by His creations, can forgive all of mankind…then we can forgive our fellow man as well.

Jesus explains to us how we should forgive in the parable of the unforgiving debtor.  To summarize this parable found in Matthew 18:21-35:

Peter asked Jesus how many times he was to forgive someone who sins against him and Jesus told him ‘seventy times seven’.  And then proceeds to tell him about a king who decided to collect on some debt from his servants: one debtor owed him millions of dollars and couldn’t pay, so the king ordered that him and all he owned be taken away to settle the debt.  The debtor begged the king for forgiveness and was granted mercy. However, when the man left he went to collect a debt from someone who owed him thousands of dollars and when this debtor asked him for forgiveness the forgiven man did not extend forgiveness like he had been given.  The king was informed of this and the man he had previously forgiven was thrown into prison.

I’ve heard it said that you can give away what you yourself have received because you should understand the situation a little more personally.  Jesus didn’t say that certain things weren’t to be forgiven.  He said, “Seventy times seven.”  So… just forgive.

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Lord, help me to be as forgiving as You are.  Sometimes it is extremely hard to want to forgive others; but with Your help, guidance, and strength—anything is possible.  Lord, show me who or what You would like me to forgive today so that I may move forward and be freed from unforgiveness.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

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Every Promise Of Your Word

October 18, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Remember Your promise to me;
    it is my only hope.
Your promise revives me….

Psalm 119:49 and 50

 Stuart Townend along with Keith Getty

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

From the breaking of the dawn to the setting of the sun
I will stand on every promise of Your Word
Words of power strong to save that will never pass away
I will stand on every promise of Your word

For Your covenant is sure
And on this I am secure
I can stand on ev’ry promise of Your word

When I stumble and I sin condemnation pressing in
I will stand on ev’ry promise of Your word
You are faithful to forgive that in freedom I might live
So I stand on ev’ry promise of Your Word

Guilt to innocence restored
You remember sins no more
So I’ll stand on ev’ry promise of Your word

When I’m faced with anguished choice, I will listen for Your voice
And I’ll stand on every promise of Your word

Through this dark and troubled land
You will guide me with Your hand
As I stand on ev’ry promise of Your word

And You’ve promised to complete
Ev’ry work begun in me
So I’ll stand on ev’ry promise of Your word

Hope that lifts me from despair, love that casts out ev’ry fear
As I stand on every promise of Your word

Not forsaken not alone for the Comforter has come
And I stand on ev’ry promise of Your word
Grace sufficient,grace for me
Grace for all who will believe
We will stand on ev’ry promise of Your word

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God Always Keeps His Promise

October 17, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Remember Your word to Your servant,
for You have given me hope.
My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
Psalms 119:49-50

Throughout the Scriptures, there are many, many records of God fulfilling His promise to His people.  Whether it be to an individual, or a group of people, or all mankind—God always keeps His promise.  I am so thankful to have these stories recorded in the Scriptures because they encourage and comfort us.  At any time, we can sit down with a bible and open up to one of numerous accounts.  One that I am always reminded of when thinking of God’s promises fulfilled is the record of Abraham and Isaac climbing Mount Moriah…remember? (Click here to read the entire record.)

As he walked toward Moriah with Isaac, Abraham must have felt conflicted…and heartbroken beyond words….  Can you imagine?  How could God ask him to sacrifice this miracle child He had blessed him and Sarai with!  No doubt, he did not understand all that God was doing.  He didn’t know he was illustrating for God’s people for all time what faith and trust looked like.

Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did
when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions
were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
James 2:21–23

He didn’t know this provision for the sacrifice would foreshadow the sacrifice of God’s only Son —a Son who would not be spared because He was the provided Lamb.

The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said,
Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29

He only knew that God had promised and that He surely knew what He was doing. He stood on his faith and belief that God could be trusted to keep His promise—even if it appeared like the promise was going to die. And God proved himself faithful to Abraham.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead,
from which he also received him back as a type.
Hebrews 11:17, 19

Jehovah – Jireh, our faithful Father, proves Himself faithful to us constantly. Even if it doesn’t look like it right now, God will bring His promise to pass. We have hope through His Word. Trust Him.

What particular promise has God has made to which you can confess,

“Remember Your word to Your servant,
for You have given me hope.
My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.”

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Hope During Affliction

October 16, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Remember Your word to Your servant;
You have given me hope through it.
This is my comfort in my affliction.
Psalm 119:49-50a HCSB

This passage reminds me of Roman 12:12 NIV; in fact, it seems to me this passage provides the reason we are urged to be“…joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer…”.

What is hope?

  • Bakers Evangelical Dictionary – to trust in, wait for, to expect something beneficial
  • Strong’s Concordance – a strong and mighty trust, actively waiting

God’s Word gives us hope. We trust in it. It is the foundation of our hope and should be the only source of our hope. We can be assured God will never disappoint the hope He has given us. Take a look at these two verses:

Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word
and to do what He had promised.
Romans 4:21 AMP

So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish
and confess and our acknowledgement of it,
for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.
Hebrews 10:23 AMP

We are to have hope even in times of affliction.

So, what is affliction?

  • Holman Bible Dictionary – the state of being pained or distressed
  • Strong’s Concordance – persecution tribulation, distress, pressure

His Word comforts and sustains us in times of affliction. Check this out:

For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction,
so that we may have hope through endurance
and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.
Romans 15:4 HCSB

His Word was written for OUR instruction. We are to have a strong and mighty trust in His Word as we actively wait during times of pain, distress, and pressure. When we do so, we can be confident in this:

…the God of hope (will) fill you with all joy and peace,
as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 HCSB

I think one of my favorite verses sums up what happens when we hold tight to hope during times of affliction.

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Psalm 27:13 NIV

Continue to expect something beneficial in the future, especially during times of trouble, and you will see the goodness of the Lord.

He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:24

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Father God, we are so thankful we have Your hope to hold on to, especially in the trying times of life. Help us actively wait with a strong and mighty trust in You, knowing we will eventually see Your goodness come through. In Your precious and Holy name we pray – Amen, it is so!

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Fulfilled Promises

October 15, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Remember the word to Your servant,
In which You have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
That Your word has revived me.
Psalms 119:49-50

David is reminding God of a promise to make David’s line to have a continuation on the throne.  God does not need reminding, but sometimes we need the reassurance that God had not forgotten us.  Doubt and sin creeps in trying to steal our promise.  We have to be ever so diligent to not allow those thoughts.  God wants us to know joy and to remember the promises He continues to fulfill today.

Abraham was promised a son.

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,
“To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt
to the great river, the river Euphrates,”
Genesis 15:18

Isaac who was not born to Abraham and his wife Sarah until they  were very old. God wanted to provide a miracle and show  Abraham that God could be trusted. God also told Abraham that his children would be in captivity and brought out after four hundred years of that bondage.

“It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born.
They saw that God had given them an unusual child,
and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.”
Hebrews 11:23

When Moses was born God had a plan that he would lead the people of Israel out of captivity to the promised land. Moses was raised in a life of luxury. But he also was reminded of his heritage and had to flee from Egypt because of his desire to protect his people. It was not his time to begin the deliverance. God had plans to grow Moses into a shepherd. He needed to become patient and humble.

Ever feel like God puts you through a time of patience building?  I know I have had my share of those.  Because I am headstrong, rebellious, and stubborn.  I am sure God just shakes His head at me. I try it on my own. Then I realize I need to turn back to Him and let Him handle the heavy lifting.  I just have to be willing to follow His word.

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Father, help me follow Your direction.  Forgive me for doing my will and not seeking Yours.  Help me discern Your will for my life.  Give me the courage to follow what You lay on my heart.  I want to be a vessel You use to further Your kingdom here on earth.  Thank You for allowing me to call You Father.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

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