31 Attributes of God, Day 14: He Is Merciful

Welcome to Day 14 of our 31 Attributes of God series!  If you missed a day, you can find all of our posts right here.  Be sure to grab the accompanying free printable here (no email address required!) and join us for today's study!

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When I was growing up, I learned in my Bible Truths class that mercy is God's withholding what I actually deserve.  When I first heard this definition, I was actually a bit indignant.  Why would a loving Heavenly Father not give me what I had earned?

But that just showed my lack of spiritual understanding.

I didn't deserve anything good, as I had first thought.  My sins deserve spiritual death, but God in His mercy withheld my eternal punishment and instead offered the way of salvation.  We didn't deserve or earn salvation - not at all.  The Bible clearly states that no one was good but God alone.  He chose to save us because of His goodness, not ours.  

Psalm 116:5 reads, "Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful" (NKJV, emphasis added).   

Once I better understood the Lord's mercy, I found it very humbling.  To realize that it is only God's mercy that saves us from Hell really puts into perspective God's magnitude and our insignificance.  And yet, He loved us so much that He prepared the way of salvation for us?  Our God truly is an awesome God!

Today's Assignment:  Look up verses that speak to God's mercy and choose one to memorize.  Write it on a 3x5 card and keep it in your purse or pocket, or scribble it on your bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker.  See what an impact thinking about His mercy has on your life this week!