Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

August 17– Morning

 by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“The mercy of God.” 

—Psalm 52:8

Meditate today on the mercy of the Lord. It is truly a tender mercy. With a gentle, loving touch he heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. He is as gracious in the manner of his mercy as in the matter of it.

There is nothing little in God, so it’s no surprise that his mercy is great. It is infinite like himself. His mercy forgives great sins to great sinners after great lengths of time and then gives great favor and great privilege to raise them up to great enjoyment of the great God in his great Heaven.

This mercy is by definition “undeserved.” If it were deserved, it would really be a false label for justice. The sinner has no right to the kindness of the Most High; on the contrary, all rebels deserve to die. To be delivered from this deserved wrath and to receive God’s sovereign gift of life can only be described as pure and great mercy.

God’s mercy is multifaceted. As Bunyan says, “All the flowers in God’s garden are double.” You may think you have received one mercy, but you will find it to be a whole cluster of them.

It is an ever-expanding mercy. Millions have received it, and yet it is far from being exhausted; it is as fresh, as full, and as free as ever.

And, finally, it is unfailing. It will never leave you. If mercy is your friend, then it will be with you in temptation to keep you from yielding; with you in living to be the light of your life; and with you in dying to be the joy of your soul when earthly comfort fades away. [M&E]