"For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them."
Deuteronomy 4:31
A church building was vandalized. Someone took petty cash, some food, and wrote obscene words with paint upon the walls. The police had a young man arrested within a week who committed the crime. The young man sat in a court room as the judge pronounced him guilty. Before the sentence was announced, the pastor asked the judge for permission to speak. The judge granted his request. The pastor said, "Your honor, I too believe this young man is guilty, but I ask you to suspend the sentence. Our church has forgiven him, God loves him, and we want his record to be clear, praying that his life will have meaning and purpose." The judge honored the pastor's request. The young man requested to stand before the church on the next Sunday to apologize to the people and thank them for their forgiveness.
The church acted in the interest of God to forgive. The LORD our God is merciful. He forgives us, though we likewise are guilty of doing wrong. That young man later received Christ as his Savior. He joined that very church. In the years ahead, he went off to seminary and eventually returned to become the pastor of that church. Mercy changed his life. God's mercy still changes the lives of people today. If we got what we deserved, we would all be pronounced guilty, but God has something better for us. It's called mercy.
The good news is that all can receive the mercy of God. Jesus told the story of a man who prayed in the temple, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." God heard his prayer and Jesus tells us that he was justified. Justice says, "He did wrong, therefore he must be punished." Mercy says, "He did wrong, but God forgives sinners." Do you want justice or mercy? If we reject mercy, then we receive God's justice. The choice is ours. Receive God's mercy. He will not forsake you.
God, we receive your mercy for us in Christ Jesus.
