Today I have been in a contemplative mood...
...reading and pondering Psalm 103 (which is one of my favorites), and seeing God's hands of mercy and compassion flooding my life in so many ways.
Although the Lord hates sin, and He will punish those who continue to do bad things, He is also kind and fair. Obviously "fallen" humanity does not possess such levels of mercy. Nevertheless, I know without a doubt that God loves to forgive and pardon sinners. His door of forgiveness is still open. He operates in love and kindness. Verse 10 of this great psalm says, "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities."
Now don't misunderstand me. God is not wimpy or weak. He is all powerful. He is the Almighty One who spoke this world into existence and can just as easily speak it out of existence.
God could have taken me out of this world at any time, and He would have been justified in doing so. But instead, He did something else. He chose to, rather than end my life, to allow me to live. He made a way for me to be redeemed by the blood of the Messiah.
Another verse in Psalm 103 says, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy" (v.8). And this is it in a nutshell.
So as I sit here in my prison cell, I can say that I am very thankful for the Lord's goodness towards me, and towards all who call upon His wonderful name. Amen!
D.B.
Although the Lord hates sin, and He will punish those who continue to do bad things, He is also kind and fair. Obviously "fallen" humanity does not possess such levels of mercy. Nevertheless, I know without a doubt that God loves to forgive and pardon sinners. His door of forgiveness is still open. He operates in love and kindness. Verse 10 of this great psalm says, "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities."
Now don't misunderstand me. God is not wimpy or weak. He is all powerful. He is the Almighty One who spoke this world into existence and can just as easily speak it out of existence.
God could have taken me out of this world at any time, and He would have been justified in doing so. But instead, He did something else. He chose to, rather than end my life, to allow me to live. He made a way for me to be redeemed by the blood of the Messiah.
Another verse in Psalm 103 says, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy" (v.8). And this is it in a nutshell.
So as I sit here in my prison cell, I can say that I am very thankful for the Lord's goodness towards me, and towards all who call upon His wonderful name. Amen!
D.B.