But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Look down and have mercy on me. Give your strength to your servant; save me, the son of your servant. Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O Lord, help and comfort me. Psalm 86: 15-17 NLT

God is full of compassion and mercy.God is slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

This is hard to remember when we compare God with our own parents. Were your parents slow to get angry? Even the parent who didn't yell at me would get that look on their face so that I knew they were mad. Do you think your parents were full of unfailing love? I know I tested both their anger and their love. I am not saying they were ever hateful to me, I just don't think they had unfailing love toward me. Yes, they love me...but...

God isn't like our parents. God loves us constantly. God's love and compassion and mercy are evident in what God did for us through Jesus. God didn't have to let Jesus die. God could have saved him or even allowed him to be that military messiah everyone expected. And God could have stopped with Jesus' death. That might have done something for our sins but it would not have meant that we were given the gift of eternal life. God went above and beyond by resurrecting Jesus from the dead.

God shows us mercy and unfailing love by the gift of salvation and eternal life through Jesus. In his name we give thanks and praise. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Amelia G. Sims