Monday Rhapsody Of Realities - He's Merciful

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:8).

The Lord is merciful, compassionate, and kind. His mercies are new every morning, and endure forever. The Bible tells us how He sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn the people to turn away from their sins, but Jonah declined, because he thought God was too merciful and would forgive them, and change His mind about destroying them. So, instead of going to preach to them, he declined to flee to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3).

Trouble ensued as Jonah journeyed in a ship with other mariners; there was a mighty tempest. When his co-travellers realized that Jonah's disobedience to God was responsible for their ordeal, they cast him out of the ship, into the sea. The Bible says God prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah in the sea, and he was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).

Eventually, Jonah prayed to God from the fish's belly and the fish vomited Jonah unto the dry land (Jonah 2:10). Upon his deliverance from the fish's belly, he followed God's initial instruction and went to preach in Nineveh. When he did, the people got converted, but Jonah was offended. He prayed to the Lord and said, "...O Lord, is not this just what I said when I was still in my country? That is why I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and [when sinners turn to You and meet Your conditions] You revoke the [sentence of] evil against them" (Jonah 4:2 AMP).

God, however, chided Jonah: "... should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand..." (Jonah 4:11). He felt they were ignorant; therefore, He had to be merciful to them. It's the same scenario today; there're many ignorant people all around the world, and the Lord expects us to reach them with the Gospel. Forget the fact that they may be wicked; God loves them, and wants to show them mercy.

Many are in the valley of decision, missing the way, walking in darkness, not knowing the truth. But we're the custodians of the truth. We must therefore keep praying and travailing for them to come to the knowledge of the truth, even as we proclaim the truth.

CONFESSION: My passion for lost souls is stirred with renewed commitment, and I declare that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ blazes intensely in the hearts of the ignorant and unconverted around the world today, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Further Study: 2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Nehemiah 9:31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

1-Year Bible Reading Plan: Mark 12:18-44, Numbers 20-21
2-Year Bible Reading Plan: Acts 25:1-12, Psalm 61-64