The God of mercy

    Imagine if God were not a God of mercy, what would become of us? The story of Jonah is just that - a story of God’s undeserved and immeasurable mercy towards us (Jonah 1-4). We may be familiar with the story of Jonah in relation to him being swallowed by a giant fish because of his disobedience to God. God had told him to go the city of Nineveh and warn the people there that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed. Here’s the thing: Jonah was a Hebrew but these Ninevites were Assyrians, a people who worshiped other gods. 
    Understandably, it did not make sense to Jonah, a Hebrew, to go and warn a heathen nation like the Assyrians. They were, after all, known for their terrible, wicked and evil ways. So, whatever consequences befell them, would be justly deserved. However, according to Isaiah 55:8 God’s ways and thoughts are not like ours. What makes sense to us, He sees in a different light. 
    Interestingly, the Ninevites do listen to Jonah when he finally goes and warns them about their imminent destruction. Everyone, including the king, covers himself in sackcloth and repents. When God sees their repentance, He relents of His plan to destroy them and instead spares their lives (Jonah 3). Jonah is not at all pleased because he wants them to be destroyed for their wicked ways (Jonah 4). Yet, he misses the point that God desires to save all men, not just His people the Hebrews. 2 Peter 2:9 says: “The Lord is … long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
    When you think about it, if God was willing to forgive and spare Jonah when he disobediently ran away from God, refusing to preach to the Ninevites. Why then should He not in the same way forgive the Ninevites and spare them from the much-deserved destruction that was coming? God’s mercy doesn’t always make sense to us. We are happy when He forgives us of wrongdoing but can’t always understand why He should also forgive someone else for their wrongdoing. We are all undeserving! None of us are more deserving than the next. God’s mercy doesn’t handpick who should be forgiven and who should not. In short, mercy isn’t about us and our worthiness, it’s about God and His love for us!!!
    According to Isaiah 55:7, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy on him and to our God for He will abundantly pardon.” I think the key word here is “abundantly.” God does not ration out His mercy. He freely gives it once we turn to Him. That’s what happened with the Ninevites. When they repented, no matter how terrible their sins, God immediately chose to forgive them and spare their lives. The thing is, if God is not a God of mercy, then we would all be destroyed!
    I don’t know what you have done. You may have heard some people say that they have done too much wrong to be forgiven. But, God sees our hearts and hears our cries and is willing to abundantly pardon us. In Mark 2:1-12, Jesus not only heals but forgives a paralysed man. Jesus knew that that man needed mercy as much as he needed to be physically healed. God sees and knows what we need, when we need it. He is not selfish with His mercy. He knows that His mercy brings peace and healing to our lives. Our entire salvation experience is wrapped up in God’s mercy and without it we would be living in hopelessness and despair. 
    So, no matter how unworthy you may feel at times, our God is a God of mercy who is willing and able to abundantly pardon us, to abundantly love us. So, be encouraged!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. God is a God of mercy, willing to abundantly pardon no matter how underserving you might feel. Once you cry out to Him in repentance, He will respond and He will not withhold His mercy from you. Be encouraged!
​

---