Abounding in Mercy Psalm 103:8

The Lord is merciful and gracious and slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.



God hates sin. He loves the sinner. God is merciful and gracious and slow to anger and abounding in mercy. God wants to do everything heavenly possible to help us realize that His way is the only way to experience life in its fullest. Sin is the result of selfishness. God's mercy and His grace are the result of love, which is selfless and is giving where sin is right the opposite. Sin focuses on self while God's grace and mercy are focused on us.

How can God hate sin and love the sinner? How can He be so merciful and so slow to anger? God's whole perspective is not what He gains from our relationship with Him, but from what He is able to give in that relationship. Sin is right the opposite. Sin focuses on what we want, when we want it and what we can get out of life. Sin is the result of what we can do for ourselves, which robs God of the opportunity to do what He can do for us, which we cannot do for ourselves. God's joy is made full when He is able to do for us. He is glorified when He is given the opportunity to do great things for us, knowing that our lives are going to be made full and meaningful.

God's own nature prevents Him from being quick to anger. He is patient and long-suffering when it comes to our sin. He knows that our sin will not give us all the things that we think it will. He knows that sin will take us farther than we want to go; keep us longer than we want to stay and cost us more than we want to pay. Even though He hates sin, He loves us and wants to reach out to us so we will reach out to Him. When we reach up to Him, He is merciful to forgive us and gracious to give us life as only He can give it. He will supply our needs and fight our battles and give us more than we could ask or hope for.

All God wants from us is an opportunity to give Himself to us. In spite of the fact that we are so unloving and so unfaithful and so unwilling to make changes in the way we do things, God wants to bless us and show us His love in all that He has done and all that He has planned to do for our lives. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal sin, God waits patiently watching for us to look to Him to give our lives the meaning and purpose that only He can give. He created us so that He could provide for us and protect us. He created us so He could love us. He loves us still today, no matter who we are or what we have done.

The Lord is merciful and gracious and slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. We need to be thankful for His love and His mercy and allow Him to be God in our lives in every decision that we make. He will bless us for that kind of commitment. Pray to that end!