We Can Trust God's Mercy

 2 Corinthians 4-5     Psalm 37     1 Kings 15-16

Paul makes sure we know that the key to understanding Jesus is based on mercy and forgiveness. Few of us think about how he says the good news of Jesus Christ is veiled to those that do not believe and often we can’t understand how those that don’t believe don’t understand what we experience. The key is for us to treat others in such a way that they want what we have because of what we are and how we treat them.

Our bodies are earthen vessels designed to reflect the image of God but the cost of that is being the target of those that do not believe. Learning to die to self and trust in Jesus is a moment by moment need. Faith is based on what no one can see but know is there and trust that God’s word is good. There is nothing that can be seen that will not perish but our faith in God, who is unseen, is eternal. We are called to walk in faith in God, as expressed in the life of Jesus, and not by anything we can see. Are life should be lived to please God.

One day we will appear before God in judgment, and it will be based on how well we worked to reflect him to the world in which we live. We are made new in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins by paying the price God demanded, so that we receive grace and forgiveness.

In the end all things will be reconciled with God, so our role now is to be God’s spokesperson in words, actions and way of life. Only one with no sin could pay the price for our sin as a perfect sacrifice.

The song today reminds us of the power of God and God’s ability to be destructive, yet he holds back. God is everywhere and active in everything. We can put our trust in God, and he will always be uplifted as the most powerful one whose expression is through love.

Each of us and each leader must decide who they are going to follow and give their life to. While David sins in his relationships with Uriah and with Beersheba he did continue to live within him the Holy Spirit touched David’s life and he was not struck down. There is then a series of Kings, most who walk away and then want everything to be normal.

We are called to honor and praise God for all that he does on our behalf. It is a decision that each person must make to believe or not in God, Jesus the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Today we see all three manifestations of God evident through the lives of people throughout the Bible. While life is challenging the call is to trust that God knows what he is doing, place our lives under obedience to him and live in such a way that others want the same blessings we have. That doesn’t mean life is easy, often it is not, but even in the hard times our trust is anchored in God.