https://odb.org/MY/2023/01/27/mercy-for-you-and-me
Allow me to reproduce below a few verses from Psalm 103:
Verse 8: The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Verse 10: He does not treat us as our sin deserves or repay us according to our iniquities. Verse 11: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him. Verse 12: As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Basically, the Psalmist was trying to convey the fact that God’s compassion and love are boundless and exceed all barriers. It is as much as the distance between the heavens and the earth in terms of His love and our sins and transgressions are so far removed as the distance between east and west!
But note verse 11; His great and abundant love is for those who fear Him. This means those who are righteous before Him and whose hearts are for Him. Not so much perfection, which is unattainable in our present broken state or sinless but justified by the blood of Jesus, and who always strive to do better in our quest to be more like Christ. It means having the spirit of not giving up for Christ, always looking to the Holy Spirit to guide us on what we should do in all situations to glorify God. A life that is lived for the glory of God.
As much as I was imperfect, and as much as I was not sinless, I recall critical moments in my life that God’s compassion and love brought me out of heart-wrenching and very sad moments when others threw me under the bus. When the world left me in the lurch, the Lord gave me a new road to travel on. He was like the Good Samaritan that Jesus spoke about who was compassionate and kind when I was bruised and wounded. He redeemed not only my soul but also my honour and restored my self-confidence and faith as I looked to Him for strength and support.
The message today, I believe, is that so long as we remain righteous and our heart is for Him, His love and compassion will be with us as much as the distance between heaven and earth. That is how broad and wide His love and compassion are. There is just so much room and breadth for forgiveness and patience and tolerance on His part as He has removed our transgressions as far as the east is from the west.
The takeaway this morning is, thus, what is our response to those around us? Will we likewise be like God when it comes to those whom we love and those who had hurt and done evil to us? Will we also be like the Good Samaritan that Jesus spoke about before? We are assured of His love and compassion. Can others depend on our love and compassion? Will we give others a new road to travel on, a fresh start elsewhere, a second chance? Always remember the Parable of the Ungrateful Servant. Jesus actually taught about this crucial lesson in life before.
Ronnie's Thoughts 