MERCY AND TRUTH – Psalms 117:2
Psalms 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord.
The truth of God endures forever. Think about it, how many false gods have come and gone over the centuries? However, the worship of the one true God has endured. God’s truth endures because HE is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Praise the Lord for HE is true. You may lie, cheat, and steel, but God cannot lie. God told Adam not to eat of the fruit from the tree of good and evil. Adam and Eve ate of the fruit and God’s truth required that the punishment of their sin be death. We can praise the Lord that HE does not allow us to get away with sin.
Praise the Lord for his mercies. We deserve greater punishment for our sins than God has brought upon our lives. When Cain killed his brother Able, he deserved death. However, God spared his life. You too have committed great wickedness in the sight of God and as a result, you do not deserve to be where you are at today. It is God’s mercies that enable you to continue to live and serve HIM.
When David sinned with Bath-sheba, God’s truth could not allow David to get away with his sin. God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. Nathan did not see David’s sin, but what David committed in secret, God revealed to the world. David committed adultery and murder and thus he deserved to die. Nonetheless, God saw fit to forgive David and continued to direct, protect, and provide for David. God’s truth required that David suffer some punishment, but it was God’s mercy that enabled David to live.
Praise the Lord for HIS mercies and HIS truth. Praise the Lord that HE has not allowed you to get away with sin but praise HIM that HE has not punished you as you deserve. You know all the wickedness that you have committed, and you know the punishment that you deserve. Paul recognized that he was chief among sinners, yet Paul gloried in God’s mercy. Paul did not allow his past sins to prevent him from continuing to serve God. Paul was diligent to serve God and allow his past to be forgiven.
Are you hanging on to tightly to your sinful past? Are you allowing the fact that you have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God to prevent you from following God’s direction? Satan loves to remind you of your wicked past and cause you to contemplate all the evil things that you have done. God is willing to forgive you and to continue to use you regardless of your past sins. You will have to face the consequences for your willful disobedience, but that does not mean that God cannot still use you. It is God’s mercy that allows you to continue to serve HIM regardless of what you have done. It is God’s mercy that covers your sins.
When you violate God’s perfect law, Satan will attempt to keep your focus upon your sins. However, if you take the time to fill your life with virtue, your mind will be filled with the things of God. You will not have the capacity to allow yourself to think upon the evil that you did. Instead, as you continue to fill your mind with the truth of God’s word, your love for God will grow and you will hear HIS still small voice as HE guides you in the way you are to go. Praise the Lord for HIS truth and HIS mercy.