Bible Reading: 1 Kings 6; Ephesians 3; Ezekiel 36; Psalm 86
Psalms 86:5, 15 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
David in this prayer extols the attributes of God. As he makes supplication to the Lord, he speaks of many of the characteristics of God’s unchanging character. We can be blessed greatly by meditating on the attributes of our loving God.
Good – David says that God is good. God is inherently good and everything he does is good. Mark 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
Ready to forgive – Think of how difficult it is to forgive someone who has wronged you. The Bible says that God is READY to forgive all the time.
Plenteous in mercy unto all that call on him – God has an abundance of mercy for all who call upon him. He is waiting to show mercy to those who will call. Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Full of compassion – Compassion is gut-level empathy for those who are suffering. Matthew 9:36 But when he [Jesus] saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Gracious – To be gracious is to be giving. God is a gift giver. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
Longsuffering – God is patient with us in our ignorance and rebellion. He is willing to give us time to repent. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Plenteous in mercy and truth – God is overflowing in mercy and he is truth! John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
These are just a few of the incredible attributes of our God! He has revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. He invites us to come and pray to him and enjoy a relationship with him. We can know:
Psalms 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
In Christ,
Rody
