God Is Gracious
Our God is gracious, full of mercy, and delights in giving grace to His children. Grace is said to be a free and undeserved favor, a divine assistance given to humans by God. God is compassionate, magnanimous, and benevolent. He is favorable to His children. In Genesis 6:8, the Bible says that Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Psalm 116 says, “Gracious is the Lord and righteous; our God is merciful.”
Moses also found grace with God in Exodus 33:17. God decided to have mercy and answer his request because He said, “I know you by name.” If you read down to verse 23, God went above and beyond to answer Moses’ request. If God knows you, if He is certain of you, acquainted with you, has encountered you, and has experience with you (as people say now, you have a history together), if He understands you and has a grasp of you through experience, so that He is able to distinguish and discern you, this is not a one-off thing but something consistent.
Remember what God said about Abraham (Genesis 18:17). When you are known by God and He can consistently trust you, then He will be merciful to you. Are you consistent in your relationship with God? Can you be trusted to praise and worship Him when you receive a breakthrough in the same way you do when your prayer is not answered as you expected? Do you trust God in times of delay, or only when your requests are granted?
Be not deceived; God cannot be mocked. He sees your heart as well, even more clearly than what proceeds out of your mouth. When you have been tested and can be trusted, the Lord will become your Sun and Shield; He will give you His grace and glory. He will not withhold any good thing from you because you will walk uprightly in His sight (Psalm 84:11).
In Exodus 34:6–7, apart from being merciful and gracious, He is also longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth. He forgives your sins, iniquities, and transgressions. He is not holding a rod over your neck, waiting for you to sin; rather, He continues to hope that you will recognize your sins and turn from your wicked ways. That is why some think that God is slack in His dealings, whereas He is actually giving you time, hoping that you will repent.
You see, He cannot force you to do His will because He created you in His own image. This means you have a will, and He will stand by whatever you decide, even if it leads to your destruction, because you are a moral agent, that is, you have the capacity to choose between right and wrong.
So, to enjoy the mercy of God:
1. Develop a vibrant relationship with Him. Put Him first in your life at all times. Obey His Word and His directives.
2. Pursue righteousness. Protect and defend your right standing with God with integrity.
3. According to God’s command, love all and treat everyone with fairness and kindness, not just outwardly, but with a heart-level transformation through reliance on divine grace rather than mere self-effort.
4. Let your life reflect God and His Word so that people can “read” you at all times and thereby understand the nature of God.
5. Be consistent, in prayer, in studying the Word, in obedience, and in all things. Read Isaiah 30:18, Isaiah 55:7, and Romans 9:15.
It is God who determines whom to have mercy on and whom to have compassion on; therefore, it is Him who should be pleased, not man. Whatever man gives you will not last forever, and whatever the devil gives will always lead to destruction. He is evil and does not have the capacity to give good. It is only the gift of God that makes rich and adds no sorrow to it (Proverbs 10:22).
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need (Hebrews 4:16). This is an open invitation for you as well as for all who believe in Him. He has promised to pour out the Spirit of grace and supplication on all who look to Him.
What are you waiting for?