If you have never prayed with your mind going all over the place, you may not understand all about mercy. But the other day, God helped me realize that mercy is all I need, even when I pray. It was Sunday morning, and I was having my quiet time, except that my heart was anything but calm. It was on at least a dozen other issues.
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Part of me was concerned about the assignment the Pastor might give me during the service. Another part of my heart was on ensuring I was not late for church. This last problem is one I do not have to deal with on other days since I am retired and therefore on flexi time. But Sunday? It was a big portion of the dozen thoughts that flitted across my mind as I tried to pray.
Finally, I apologized to God for praying with wandering thoughts. God’s response was so much “God” that I thought to share it in case you ever find yourself in a similar situation. He said words to the effect of: “Look at you. Do you think I hear you because you pray good prayers? It is all about mercy. I was impressed with how he killed two birds with one stone.
God acknowledged that my prayer was awful, and He also forgave me. Note that He did not say He approved my praying with a scattered heart. God is too just and holy to ignore or excuse sin. He was only showing me that it is all about mercy that we are not consumed. That was huge.
If He were to Mark Iniquity
You should have seen me in church that day. I danced as if I had won the lottery, which I had, in a manner of speaking. I finally understood that God is not a judge, examining my performance, to give me a grade. He is a father, accepting all my honest efforts, like you do for your child. They could be praying, studying the Bible, or serving others; the father’s relationship with his child is all about mercy.
“If God were to mark iniquity, who could stand?” is one of those beautiful questions with which God trains us. It is similar to God asking Adam, “Where are you?” after Adam ate the forbidden fruit. God knew where the man was but needed Adam to think it through for himself. In the same way, God knows that if He should mark iniquity, we would all be dead and buried. But His dealings with us are all about mercy, and so we are still here.
I once heard a ‘man of God’ accusing God of owing him something. He even made it into a song and taught some foolish people in church. They sit in church but are carried away by every wind of doctrine because they refuse to read their Bibles. That man brought a strange doctrine because the only thing God owes us is death.
You already know that all we, like sheep, have gone astray. Perhaps you also know that the wages of sin is death. Put the two thoughts together, and you see the danger of reminding God that He owes you something.
If God Were Not All About Mercy
If that man ever comes to your church with that doctrine, do not let him teach you his demonic song. You see, if God were not all about mercy, the only thing we deserve is death. That is why the Bible says it is only by the mercy of God that we are not consumed. Thank God that, although God dealt with man in judgment for four thousand years, He now applies mercy to us.
The pipeline for God’s mercy (you may already know) is Jesus. God put the wages of (payment for) our sin on Jesus so that we no longer have to die. If you have never been excited by the death of Jesus, now would be a good time to get excited. Yay! Jesus. Jesus bore all our sins on Himself and took them to the cross. So now, God is all about mercy when He looks at a believer.
My only hope is that you are a believer, not a CINO (Christian in name only). Once you are sure you are a true Christian, God is all about mercy when it comes to your case.
Maranatha!
