Column: Every breathe, heartbeat, minute of life are illustrations of God's mercy

Psalms 103:8 (KJV) "The LORD [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy."

Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm (source: Merriam Webster Online).

So what can we learn about God’s mercy?

God takes no pleasure in the suffering of His enemies. God never looks down and rejoices to see somebody squirm. If God has to punish, God is not pleased in doing so. We sometimes get the wrong idea that God is some angry and grumpy old man just waiting on us to mess up and then act accordingly. This is not what we find from pages of Scripture regarding God and His mercy.

God is indeed holy, just, righteous, but He is also merciful, loving and gracious. He is all of these things and much more perfectly, completely and infinitely.

Compassion moved God to action

Because God is mercy, God is compassionate towards man. We are often moved with compassion when we hear or see something that is moving but rarely do we act on that compassion. We hear or see something moving and within a matter of minutes we are on to the next thing and give it little to no thought.

God, however, was and is compassionate for us and that compassion moved Him to action in sending His Son to lay down His life. (1 John 3:16) He didn’t have a moment of compassion and carry-on as we may. He was moved with compassion and sent Jesus to make the Way of salvation and life that all mankind must turn to and be saved.

Did God have to do this? No.

Did God need to do this? No.

Could God have rightly and justly held us accountable for our sins and rebellion against Him? Absolutely.

Does God have the full and absolute power to hold us accountable? Absolutely.

God could have condemned all mankind and been perfectly just in doing so? Yes, but His love, mercy and compassionate for you and I moved Him to action.

God daily displays His mercy

God is daily displaying His mercy in our lives. God’s mercy is new every day. He had compassion that led Him to action and He cries out to us from the pages of Scripture:

[Eze 33:11 KJV] "Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"

Every breathe, every day, every heartbeat, every sermon, every opportunity and every minute of our lives are real life illustrations of God’s mercy towards you and I. God could rightly judge us and hold us accountable and yet He withholds judgment, sustains us, provides opportunities for salvation and tarries His return because He desires all to be saved. All will not be saved but this is the desire of God.

Reading this very article is God’s mercy as once more you are directed to Jesus for salvation if you have never trusted Him as your Lord and Savior. Praise the Lord for His infinite mercy!

Psalms 103:17 (KJV) "But the mercy of the LORD [is] from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children."

Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? If you do not know Him, turn today from your sin and cry out from the heart to Jesus to save you! He has shown you mercy this very day in allowing us to see again our sinful condition and yet God still pursues and desires you and I.

Romans 10:9-10 (KJV) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Romans 10:13 (KJV) "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Matt Stollings is the pastor at First Baptist Church of Ashland

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Every breathe, heartbeat, minute of life illustrate God's mercy