Monday Reflection \u2013 September 06, 2021
Mercy Lord!<\/p>\n\n\n
Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly. Psalm 106:6<\/p>\n\n\n
One of the critical characteristics of God that we depend on every day is God\u2019s mercy. Without God\u2019s mercy we would all be dead by now. We talk a lot about God\u2019s grace and mercy, but what do these terms mean? For me, God\u2019s grace has to do with what God gives to us that we do not deserve; God\u2019s unmerited favour. On the other hand, God\u2019s mercy relates to the judgement or punishment that we rightly deserve, but God withholds same and replaces that with mercy. Mercy and forgiveness are twins, since we receive God\u2019s mercy because God forgives.<\/p>\n\n\n
Psalm 106 celebrates Yahweh\u2019s mercy to His covenant people. The Psalm begins by praising God for His enduring mercy, as the Psalmist invites us to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Why? Because God is good and God\u2019s mercy endures forever. This praise for God\u2019s great mercy is especially sincere because it is offered to an often rebellious and ungrateful Israel. Indeed, we celebrate a God who is longsuffering.<\/p>\n\n\n
In today\u2019s Watchword, the Psalmist confesses Israel\u2019s past and present sins and thus highlights their need for God\u2019s mercy. Verses 6 and 7 say: \u201cBoth we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly. Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wonderful works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled against the Most High\u00a0at the Red Sea.\u201d Not only were God\u2019s people sinful, but they paid no attention and forgot the magnitude of God\u2019s mercy. So what we have is a contrast\u00a0between the loving acts of God and Israel\u2019s continued sins and lack of response. This dramatizes the greatness of God\u2019s love and salvation, for He delivered a people who did not respond to His love.<\/p>\n\n\n
Having acknowledged Israel\u2019s sins, the Psalmist notes in verse 8a, \u201cYet God saved them for His name\u2019s sake\u201d. Though the Israelites responded to God\u2019s deliverance with ingratitude and rebellion, God answered with rescue, but not only for Israel\u2019s sake, but God\u2019s.\u00a0Boice makes the noteworthy point that \u201cIsrael\u2019s history is as much the story of God\u2019s mercy, faithfulness, and long-suffering as it is the story of Israel\u2019s faithlessness and unbelief. In fact, it is against the background of their sin that God\u2019s patience is most fully illuminated.\u201d Yet, this is our story! We continue to be sinful and rebellious in the face of God\u2019s continued mercies. However, let\u2019s be careful that we don\u2019t become so flippant and carefree doing what we want and ignoring God\u2019s direction because we believe that God is forever merciful. There will come a point when God stops winking at our rebellion and inflict judgement.<\/p>\n\n\n
Let\u2019s be forever grateful for God\u2019s manifold mercies to us every day, confess our sins and seek God\u2019s forgiveness, pursue a life that honours God, and extend mercy to those who offend us.<\/p>\n\n\n
Jermaine Gibson\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monday Reflection \u2013 September 06, 2021 Mercy Lord! Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly. Psalm 106:6 One of the critical characteristics of God that we depend on every day is God\u2019s\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"template":"","watchword_topic":[9],"class_list":["post-596","watchword","type-watchword","status-publish","hentry","watchword_topic-faith"],"yoast_head":"\n