God is who he says he is, and God tells us he is merciful and gracious.
I recently ran across a YouTube video from a 1970’s sitcom, Maude. The title character, a feisty woman with steel-gray hair and a sharp-tongue, famously berated others with the line: “God’ll get you for that.”
And sometimes when I break a rule, make a mistake, or fail to live up to expectations, I battle my inner “Maude” who accuses, “God’ll get you for that.”
If we’re not careful, we can allow an over-zealous conscience or an over-stern religious upbringing to distort our perception of God. We might imagine him as an angry authority figure waiting to zap us with a lightning bolt when we sin.
But God described himself to Moses this way:
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Exodus 34:6 ESV
The Hebrew word used here for “merciful” is rahum. When we see this word in the Old Testament, it almost always refers to God. In fact, the Old Testament is saturated with verses relating this fact about God’s character. (Deuteronomy 4:31, II Chronicles 30:9, Nehemiah 9:17, Nehemiah 9:31, Psalm 103:8, Psalm 78:38, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 111:4, Psalm 145: 8)
God is merciful and gracious. He’s gracious and merciful. If gracious means we get something we don’t deserve, merciful means we don’t receive the punishment we deserve. Also included in those verses are “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Those verses also describe God as “compassionate,” “righteous,” “ready to forgive,” and “relenting from disaster.”
Though people may be eager to pounce on us when we make a mistake, and though we may beat ourselves up for our failures, God isn’t like that.
God watches as we drift from him, and he has every right to deal us the consequences of our sin. But he’s slow to anger, so he gives us time to rethink our foolish actions and change our behavior. He’s so ready to forgive and to spare us from the disaster we should have coming to us. That’s who he is: merciful and gracious.
But he’s not like the permissive parent who turns a blind eye to our stubborn rebellion. The New Testament likens him to a good father who lovingly provides discipline and consequences for our misbehavior. His ultimate goal is always our good, so we can share in his holiness.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12: 6-11 ESV
Though we don’t deserve his compassion, we have to remind ourselves to simply accept the grace and mercy he offers. We come to him with humble and contrite hearts, thanking him for his lovingkindness.
Father, thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you that you don’t give me the consequences I truly deserve, but instead give me kindness that I could never earn. Thank you for sending Jesus to be punished in my place. I can’t understand why you would love me as you do, but I want to live out my life in gratitude to you.
The next time your inner “Maude” tries to condemn you, remind her you serve a God who is merciful and gracious.
And since God is gracious and merciful to you, why not extend a little grace and mercy to someone you encounter today. Is there someone in your path who needs forgiveness? A second chance? Are there people who need a helping hand, even though they don’t deserve it? Reach out to them in grace and mercy.
Memorize Psalm 145:8 and keep it close to your heart for the times you feel undeserving. Remember…. God is gracious and merciful.