Tender Mercies!

This morning I woke up to a message on my iPhone, “Software Update” is available and it will fix bugs affecting battery life. If you have an iPhone then you will know that their battery life is not their strongest feature, so obviously this message was appealing. I will download the new software without delay; my phone is already plugged in awaiting its upgrade. My question is do we act as efficiently when it comes to the Word of God and its instruction for our lives? It will have much more effectual benefit to our lives if we live but its rule and we learn to instinctively to walk in the Spirit.

I have had a glimpse into why the psalmist got so excited about the Lords loving kindness and why I also get excited when I consider the magnitude of almighty God’s tender compassion. A God, the only true God to be more accurate, has it in His power to speak creation into existence; the mountains, a dead lump of rock trembles when He speaks. A single command, “be gone” and it will no longer remain, fascinating if you believe my reasoning, nevertheless very much the truth! God spoke creation into existence!

The concept of reading God’s Word and then processing it with our own minds, seems to be common to all who read God’s Word, the Bible. But it is only once the words we read become a personal living experience; it will only then have any lasting substance to our lives.

We are clearly taught that God resist the proud and gives grace to the humble and it seems that the more zealous of the disciples, when it came to the importance of action over words, are in fact the ones that taught us this. Both Peter and James taught that God requires His sons to be of a humble spirit and that He would and will resist the proud. If one is right in their understanding on any given topic will this excuse them in God’s eyes if they laud it over those who lack understanding? I think not, the statement does not have a proviso attached to it, it simple states; “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)

So it is not until we are in a state of humility will we be able to echo the words of the psalmist; thy lovingkindness in better than life itself. Christianity is an experiential experience; it is not enough to say we believe and to say we relate if we have not related to our God in person. How many times have I felt like a failure, more than I would care to remember, I do not speak about failure as a man in a material world, although I have also suffered there, but the reference I make is the times I have failed God in my life. Disappointment after disappointment and yet the lovingkindness of my Great God and Father never disappoints, praise His glorious name.

It saddens my heart to confess that it normally always takes a fall for me to realise the wonderful position of humility, it is a place where we have absolutely no boast within ourselves, and we are solely dependent on the mercies of God. Do you remember the story of the good father and the prodigal son? "But when he came to himself (his senses), he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' (Luke 15:17-19)

It was in this state that the father poured out and abundance of mercy on his undeserving son, and yet because of his humility, he was given that which he did not deserve. Why? Because the father had it in His power to give!

I suppose the harder we fall the humbler we become, or should I say, should become as it is part of the learning process. We are now back to yesterday’s blog, will we fall on Christ our Rock or will he fall on us?

It is through this experience I am also able to echo the psalmist sentiments, that my God’s love is tangible and I do not only believe it because David pens similar words but because I have personally experienced the tender touch of God my Father and for this I am truly thankful.

You may be feeling low, all you need to do is come to God the Father, just as you are without one plead of self-justification, call out to the Lord Jesus from that place of brokenness and you will be heard. You may say, but I have been here numerous times, ah I will say, what of it, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and watch him work. And you too will be able to share in psalmist sentiments; “Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” (Psalms 117:1-2)

Father God I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for you tender mercies and for the bottomless fountain of your loving kindness; with that in mind I pray make me, make us your children more like our glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone