Believing God's Word

For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Romans 9: 15.

Our devotion today begins by reminding us strongly that mercy is all of God. Regardless of who we are, or what we have done, our faith must allow us the comfort of knowing that mercy has absolutely nothing to do with our actions good or bad. It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Romans 9: 16. These words of Paul to the Roman Church, must have been met with great scepticism, massive queries and deep questioning, about God and His mercy.

What they have just heard about the God they are learning to love more and more, the God they serve and worship, is totally different and strange. It is not just strange, but it is certainly not the God they have come to know and love. What they are hearing about the mercy of God, speaks of a God who is downright unjust and unfair. This is one bit of Scripture, which they will not swallow with one thankful gulp, as it were.

Where are many of us, believers, in this? Whether we are hearing these Scripture texts for the first time, or not, what attitudes, impressions and interjections, are these having upon us, right now? Paul’s audience, his congregation, his followers, are not settled. In fact, he has just ruffled many spiritual feathers with this truth. Are we, as hearers, also disturbed in our minds and spirits, about what is being spoken about our Lord’s mercy? If God’s mercy is not dependent on us, who we are, our conditions, our needs, our pleading, our asking, our words and good efforts, then where are we? Are we really being told that God’s mercy is independent of His created beings, you and me? This is most disconcerting for minds of lawfulness and good works.

Paul has been teaching about Almighty God’s Sovereign Choice or His Sovereign Will and this was quite an apple-cart over turner then, as it still is today, among believers. This inspired disciple of our Lord, made some facts abundantly clear, to all who questioned, doubted and second-guessed his spiritual calling, mandate and power. On more than one occasion, because his words and teachings, like his Master’s, were not palatable to some hearers, people who once believed and followed, turned away.

Here is Jesus, the Truth, the Life, the Way, teaching and telling all listeners, His followers and disciples, truth, but on hearing it, many of his disciples said, This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? John 6: 60. We are told that these disciples became extremely offended, but Jesus never retracted what He had said, nor did He relent in any way. He never altered, tweaked, nor rearranged what He was saying, nor how He was saying it, to suit those disciples. He never ran after them, to try to stop them. In fact, Jesus became even more forceful and forthright, when He simply added. This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them. John 6: 65b. All who were refusing to accept Jesus’ hard teaching, made their decision. From this time many of his disciples turned back from following him. John 6: 66. Does this not scare you and bring you to repentance, every time you read, hear or remember this fact? Men and women are faithfully following Jesus, having left much, to be His disciples. They joy in their Master as they listen and learn from Him daily, following wherever He goes. They are happy, I tell you, until Jesus brings out some trust-exposing words. Jesus never leaves us in our, milk-drinking stages.