Does the thought of how things work together ever catch you in your thoughts? It does for me when I think on the mystery of mercy. In 2 Samuel 12 after Nathan has rebuked David of his sin with Bathsheba and told him of the Lord's consequences to come, David says to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan's response to David is what baffles me, "The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die."
Unless we understand the Holiness of God correctly we will never understand the beautiful mystery of His mercy. You see, we live in a day and age where we feel entitled to the goodness, the protection, the care and the blessings of God. We are so unaware of where we have "despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight and therefore we feel so offended and betrayed by Him when the consequences of our ways often times land us flat on our backs. I am blinded to the beauty of mercy when I can not see how undeserving of His mercy I am. I find myself like Psalm 1 tells us standing in the council of the wicked, that eventually leads to walk in the path of sinners and finding a seat at the table with scoffers." As David becomes aware of how he has done this very thing, he finds himself broken before the Lord and begging for mercy. When the kind of mercy he begs for is not poured out on him, his response isn't to shake his fist in the face of God, or to run to other things looking for comfort but to worship. The life of the child that was conceived by David and Bathsheba was not spared, but it is clear in that David is vastly aware of the mercy God has shown him because after begging God for to spare the life of his child and the Lord does not, "David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped."
I am often times so caught up in the emotions of my circumstances that I can not clearly see the gracious forgiveness of the Lord that has already flooded my life. I am torn over the earthly things, and circumstances that I can't control and forget the beauty of his grace and mercy that have already written the ending to my story. Oh, that the mystery of His mercy wouldn't be lost on me; that the things of this present life would lead me to David's posture when I'm the consequences of my sin, or to the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego when they said in Daniel chapter 3, "He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
God's compassion and forgiveness make up the mystery of mercy but in order to celebrate the beauty of this mystery, we have to know Him. We have to see ourselves clearly in light of who we are before His gracious and divine exchange with us. Then and only then will the mystery of mercy become something worth praising and worshiping the Holy God for. The works of His hands, the blessings on our lives, the earthly glimpses of His handiwork will become the grace banners of this mystery and it will become our place of refuge.
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth, who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens! From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength, because of thine adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man that Thou dost take take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou does care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, and dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth!" Psalm 8
Unless we understand the Holiness of God correctly we will never understand the beautiful mystery of His mercy. You see, we live in a day and age where we feel entitled to the goodness, the protection, the care and the blessings of God. We are so unaware of where we have "despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight and therefore we feel so offended and betrayed by Him when the consequences of our ways often times land us flat on our backs. I am blinded to the beauty of mercy when I can not see how undeserving of His mercy I am. I find myself like Psalm 1 tells us standing in the council of the wicked, that eventually leads to walk in the path of sinners and finding a seat at the table with scoffers." As David becomes aware of how he has done this very thing, he finds himself broken before the Lord and begging for mercy. When the kind of mercy he begs for is not poured out on him, his response isn't to shake his fist in the face of God, or to run to other things looking for comfort but to worship. The life of the child that was conceived by David and Bathsheba was not spared, but it is clear in that David is vastly aware of the mercy God has shown him because after begging God for to spare the life of his child and the Lord does not, "David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped."
I am often times so caught up in the emotions of my circumstances that I can not clearly see the gracious forgiveness of the Lord that has already flooded my life. I am torn over the earthly things, and circumstances that I can't control and forget the beauty of his grace and mercy that have already written the ending to my story. Oh, that the mystery of His mercy wouldn't be lost on me; that the things of this present life would lead me to David's posture when I'm the consequences of my sin, or to the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego when they said in Daniel chapter 3, "He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
God's compassion and forgiveness make up the mystery of mercy but in order to celebrate the beauty of this mystery, we have to know Him. We have to see ourselves clearly in light of who we are before His gracious and divine exchange with us. Then and only then will the mystery of mercy become something worth praising and worshiping the Holy God for. The works of His hands, the blessings on our lives, the earthly glimpses of His handiwork will become the grace banners of this mystery and it will become our place of refuge.
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth, who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens! From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength, because of thine adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man that Thou dost take take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou does care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, and dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name in all the earth!" Psalm 8
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