Mercy and Patience

"You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.  Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me."  Isaiah 43:10

Before God and after God there was no other.  God created.  He created the vast expanse of the universe, He created the beautiful world we live on for us to work and enjoy.  He declared all of His Creation "good".  He created us, for relationship, with Him and with other people.  He made us to show us His love and to give Him love in return.  This brings God glory.  When we honor the creation and the creatures that He has made, this brings God glory.   God is patient, He works with each of us over a lifetime, completing the good work that He began in us.  (Phil. 1:6)  God is merciful, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

In Genesis chapter 6 the Bible records that "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.  The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain."  Genesis 6:5-6.

The Lord was grieved that he had made man and his heart was filled with pain.  How sad.  We were created to know God, to care for His creation and to love other people, yet people had only evil in their hearts.  Selfish and corrupt.  The earth was filled with violence.  But God in his mercy had a plan to save Noah and all who believed the message that Noah was sharing while he built the ark.  (2 Peter 2:5 says that Noah was a "preacher of righteousness").  

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, but he is patient wanting everyone to turn to him in love.  120 years passed while Noah built an ark on dry land in a world that wasn't even watered by rain. Noah did everything God told him to do, Hebrews 11 says Noah believed God.  He built the ark with one door, and Noah and his family and all the animals that came to him went into that one door and God shut it.  Then God in his pain and grief, brought flood waters from below and rains from above, I imagine that he cried over the people that he had created.  Until the entire world was covered in water.  Only those who entered the ark through its one door survived.

There is one Savior, Christ the Lord.  The Bible says that he is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  After he had provided purification for sins, he say down at the right hand of the Majesty in Heaven.  (Hebrews 1:3).  

Those who have believed in Jesus as their Savior are God's witnesses, not, will become his witnesses, not, are his witnesses when we feel like it, he has made us his witnesses.  It is something that we are because he lives in us.  As we spend time in the Word and in prayer, we become more and more radiant, more and more like our Savior, but from the moment the Holy Spirit comes into us, we are God's witnesses.  I want to be a good witness, to yield to him when he is moving me to speak up.  I want to grow to be more and more like Jesus, to give myself for others, to bring glory to God, not shame on his name by being selfish and corrupt.  Not to cause God pain and grief.

How you have felt when someone you love has disappointed and saddened you?  Did you respond with tears?  God has given us his Word to teach us the best way to live, but so often we think we know better and don't chose to live by his guidance.  Our lives get all messed up and it breaks God's heart, he is grieved.   Noah must have wondered a few times during the 120 years of ark building, but he believed God and kept on building.  God in his mercy waited 120 years to flood the earth, God in his mercy promised to never flood the whole earth again.  God in his mercy is delaying the final judgment so that many can be saved.  2 Peter 3:15 says, "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation."  Thank God for his mercy and patience.  Live the life that his word teaches you to live, pray for those who have slipped away from the faith, encourage them to return to our Father and theirs, be His witnesses.  Even in your disappointment, continue to be patient and have mercy on those who have broken your heart.

"Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning"  Psalm 30:5.  If you have felt disappointed and saddened over someone you love, trust God, be the witness that he made you to be, keep praying for them. Bring glory to God by letting his Spirit produce the fruit of patience in you.  You may yet experience the joy of seeing them come to Christ.