“But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” Nehemiah 9:17.
Verse chosen from today’s Bible reading; Nehemiah 9-10, and Acts 2.
I found out about justice in a personal way yesterday.
I went to a meeting this past Saturday in which the rules and regulations of the company I work part-time for were explained. I heard them and agreed to them.
On my first day at work on Tuesday I took matters into my own hands and solved a problem. When I asked yesterday to be compensated for what I had done, solving a company problem, I was told that it had been agreed that there would be no compensation for what I had done.
Internally outraged, I had numerous explanations for why I should have been compensated. I left the office in an unhappy state but as I drove away I started to realize that what I had received was letter-of-the-law justice. I had received what I deserved.
I realized that I didn’t want justice. I wanted mercy and I had all kinds of reasons why I deserved it. But mercy is not something I deserve, it is something given to me by someone willing to overlook my rule breaking.
Powerful stuff. I have a God who knows my rule breaking and accepts my apology. He gives me something I don’t deserve (a clean slate before Him) because of His gracious, merciful nature. My task is to believe that He has done this for me and to live accordingly.
“Lord, thank You for bringing a personal justice/mercy message to me over the last few days. I needed to see how that works. You are just and have expectations of me yet You are also merciful to those who belong to You. Expose my sins to me. Help me to recognize them and repent of them. Thank You for the restoration to You that You provide. I love You, Lord.”
God is just but He is also merciful.
His Word For Me 