Mercy Over All

PSALM 145:8–9

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

God’s inmost heart for you is one of grace, mercy, goodness, and love. The Lord is not ashamed of you. He is not embarrassed by you. God is not quick-tempered toward your faults. He is not put off by your quirks and idiosyncrasies. Yes, in His omniscience, God is fully aware of everything about you, and nothing is hidden from him (Heb. 4:13). Yet each one of your weaknesses, faults, frailties, and failures does more to arouse God’s love than to stir up His anger.

Every single day, the Lord showers you with goodness from above and mercy from His heart of unshakable love. Consider His mercies: the very breath you are breathing testifies to the goodness of the Lord in your life; every gasp of air proclaims His great love for you. “He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything (else)” (Acts 17:25). Even when you have been unfaithful to Him, hasn’t He been good to you? Even when you’ve been thankless, hasn’t He greeted you in the morning with favor that you could never earn? Hasn’t He protected you throughout the day from the fullness of what your actions have truly deserved?

Every blessing in your life is meant to draw your attention to God’s gracious and merciful heart of goodness and love directed toward you. Yes, you. “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” All includes you. Friend, the Lord loves you. Don’t think that His love for you is an afterthought. No, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). God’s love is an honest love amid the full knowledge of the worst about us. It’s a purposeful, passionate, persistent, and perpetual love.

Oh, that you would trace His gracious heart for you and embrace His immeasurable love for you. God is “abounding in steadfast love” for you. Embrace His love with the eyes of faith and love Him in response.

Reflect

Where do you see marks of God’s grace, mercy, goodness, and love in your life right now? How do you respond? Check out 1 John 4:19.

Let’s Pray

Gracious God, thank You for loving me so much. Thank You for the breath You’ve given me, the life You’ve given me, and the mercy You’ve showered on me. Even in the midst of all my unfaithfulness, You’ve been faithful to me, and I’m so grateful for Your grace, mercy, patience, and love. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.