Throughout the years, I cannot count the number of sermons I have heard
concerning the mercy of the Lord. A familiar text regarding God's lovingkindness
is from Lamentations 3:22-23: "The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your
faithfulness." There is great hope in these words and the promise that God
renews His love to us each day, regardless of our sins. Indeed, the Lord is
unfailingly there to renew us each day according to His mercy! However, in order
for us to understand the full implication of God's mercy we must first
understand that in order for there to be mercy, there must be justice. For
instance, how could cold be understood without hot? In the same way, mercy
cannot be understood without a juxtaposition of its opposite.
Of
paramount importance to understand is how God is not arbitrary in either His use
of judgment or mercy. As the previously mentioned verse states, His mercies or
lovingkindnesses are new every morning. Our lead verse tells us the same thing
about mercy's opposite---that they likewise do not fail every morning. Daily,
God's judgments are as predictable as His mercies. Some might look at these
attributes of the Lord God Yahweh and describe Him as a dual-natured, somewhat
confused entity that does not know what His left hand is doing from the right.
However, in reality, it makes total sense once a person begins to understand God
from His viewpoint. As aforementioned, mercy cannot exist without judgment nor
can judgment without mercy. They are inextricably linked because of their dual
attributes. Does this then make God dual-natured as previously suggested? It
cannot, because both mercy and judgment complement one another and increase the
other's certainty by the absence of its complement. Therefore they are
inseparable as salt with water. To use this example further, one cannot
necessarily see more or less salt in a gallon of water. If the solution is
thoroughly mixed it will look like a gallon of fresh water. However, when
tasting the two, there will be obvious differences. It is the same way with God
and His mercy and judgment. Often times we cannot see how much mercy and
judgment is mixed into together in any given situation. To those who have to
"taste" or experience the situation, it will seem salty (or judgmental) to them.
While it may look "clear" and without judgment to some, it will taste salty and
bitter to others. However, God never allows the mixture to be wrong. Both His
mercy and judgment come every morning for its particular end.
The
"particular end" of mercy and judgment is always God's salvation for mankind. It
is never random or arbitrary, but will always have a purpose. Many unbelievers
and some Christians desire to believe God does not use calamities in our lives
to shape us for redemption. With this in mind, let us look at God's word that
states it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). To
understand that God is kind, all of the time, is to understand how both the
judgments which God allows in our lives, along with the mercies, give us all the
opportunity to turn to Him and to accept the gift of righteousness. For there
will come a day when mercy will be spent. Then, when we have passed the veil
into eternity we will either experience God's full measure of mercy and grace or
His full demonstration of judgment. On that final day, when all eyes see Him,
then we will understand His incredible patience toward all as He wooed mankind
with both judgment and mercy.
Just as
today and everyday, God knows the proper mixture of lovingkindness and judgment
to put within our lives. Too much mercy, and we become apathetic and ungrateful.
Too much judgment and we become hopeless and uncaring. The Father knows what we
need today. Does He engineer destruction in our lives through seeming judgments?
No, but He allows them and uses them for our good. Does He give us everything we
desire so we will not need a thing? That is the ploy of the devil to make us
full of ourselves and to forget God. No, beloved, but the Lord wants the
constant tension of His judgments and His mercies to continue to instruct us
until that final day. Only then will we understand and embrace all of His Nature
as He brings sons and daughters to perfection.
Father, may You grant us both Your mercies and Your judgments every morning.
Grant them to us for they are forming us into the image of Your Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ, as we surrender to Him. In Jesus' Name Amen!
Your
Barefoot Servant,
Rick
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