126. Great Mercy and Kindness
Isaiah 54:7, 8 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from them for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer.
God’s mercy is great and His kindness is everlasting. On account of Jesus Christ God can promise us exceeding great mercy. His mercy is new every morning. His mercy is deep and wide and all encompassing. No sin or shame could be hidden from the wide expanse of mercy. The blood of Jesus cleanses every great sin.
The mercies of God gather us, all of us together and each of us individually. Just like the father of the prodigal son gathered him into his arms, so God’s great mercy welcomes us back. Showing mercy expresses the nature of the Lord God; God shows His power by extending mercy. Mercy is always given either from the offended one or from one who is higher up. God is both.
God will have mercy with everlasting kindness. Our Lord is the kindest person you will ever meet. And His tender kindness is everlasting: it will never end. Just like God’s mercy covers all of our past so it also covers all of our future forever. His goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and then even beyond. His mercy and kindness is inexhaustible. He may have had mercy on us 490 times already, and He will still show mercy the next time, too. And His mercy and kindness cannot be taken back; He doesn’t change His mind. And mercy and kindness is always available and ready to be extended. He doesn’t wait for our good works, our repentance, our prayer, or even our faith. Mercy is first and always. “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance [Romans 2:4}.”
In dark times, remember: “This, too, shall pass.” For a small moment the Lord forsakes us, and in a little wrath He hides His face from us for a moment. While we are in the valley of the shadow of death He is with us. Even if it seems long and dark to us, in reality it is only a moment. In the light of everlasting kindness the times when God seems absent are very short. Wait it out with patient faith in mercy. We can have the patience that Jesus had when He was forsaken by the Father because of our sin being on Him.