Exodus 25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
Mercy is "me not getting the punishment that I deserve", and thankfully, our God is a God of mercy. There couldn't be a tabernacle for God without a mercy seat for us. Man, in his most holy state can not survive in the presence of the Almighty without mercy being bestowed. This is why here in Exodus 25, while we are still in the beginning stages of the planning of the tabernacle, that the mercy seat is introduced. How often do we take His mercy for granted? Even worse, how often are we angered because of God's seemingly excessive mercy for those who offend us? Shouldn't we instead celebrate the mercy of God for others, because they deserve it no less than we? God's mercy, that is vividly portrayed in the mercy seat reveals to us the great desire that God must have for our fellowship. Israel gave Him more than enough reasons to throw them aside, but instead He would extend mercy time after time. We too are deserving of abandonment, but instead have received acceptance in the beloved, His mercy and grace intertwined in the work of Jesus Christ. What is our part in receiving mercy from Him? Well, humbleness will go a long way, and on the contrary, pride can open up the door for God to withhold enough mercy to allow humbling circumstances into our life. When you really think about it, God is actually being merciful during times of correction so that we might receive the greater reward. God help us to reveal your great mercy to a world that will die without you. Amen
Thankfully God's mercy is new each day!! Having said that, may we show that same mercy (renewed everyday) to the world around us. It has been my experience that it is much easier to want and recieve mercy than it is to give and show that same mercy. Lord, help me to show your mercy to the world around me.
ReplyDeleteI have struggled with giving myself mercy at times. I want to forgive myself for the sins that I commit, and I do. But, sometimes I am reminded of the sin by the enemy or I simply just remember, and I feel this terrible gut wrenching in my stomach. I realize at that moment that I have still not completely gotten over what I done. Maybe it's because I need to make amends to someone or maybe I haven't confessed my sin properly. Mo matter what the reason I need mercy.
ReplyDeleteGod is GOOD in every sense of the word. Even when we face hard times, God is still in control. It may seem like nothing but bad, but in the end, God's positive effect He intended will shine through. He is literally nothing but good, even when things seem nothing but bad!
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