Mercy In the Goodness of God

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.”

— 2 Corinthians 1:3 (HCSB)

STRUCK with revelation’s wonder, as I perused my A.W. Tozer collection, I rediscovered this François Fénelon (1651–1715) quote that must have so equally struck one of 20^th Century’s minor prophets:

“Mercy is the goodness of God beholding our wickedness
 and striving to make us good… From Him alone proceeds true goodness.”

There is something about mercy that covers us by God’s goodness.  And we may be assured that God does cover us with His goodness in the bequeathing of His mercy.

God takes of us who we are and makes us good in His goodness, and this is a mercy.  But more than that, as if that weren’t already very sufficient.

Mercy is always more than we deserve, but mercy is also much more than we expect.  His mercies are not only golden each morning, as they shimmer also on a moonlit evening, they’re eternal in the character and very nature of our Lord God.

The glorious goodness indwelt in His mercy — the giving and the gift itself, not to make more of the Giver — resounds in His majesty and reflects His glory.  We’re transformed from an earlier glory to an unknown and dazzling glory, a peace unbefitting yet indescribable and so welcome, because of His mercy.  Nothing can come close to comprehending it.  It is.  As a fact of our perception — the goodness of God breaking through, His breath breathing His life into us — it is.

And what does all this mean to the uninitiated?  It’s the question that begs an answer.

God is good.  His goodness is manifest in His mercy, especially when we’re beleaguered.  And such mercies are not faint blessings.  The blessings of His mercies are a multiplicity of favour.

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It’s not in the Father’s nature to withhold His good gifts, and mercy is of His best.

If you’re in need today or tonight don’t despair.  If you find your hope stripped by the exhaustion of your season, watch, for a new thing is coming, and it will sweep over you, by the goodness of His grace.  Nothing more certain.

If you can but watch, because you have nothing left but surrender, rejoice and be glad, for your surrender receives His mercy.  God is good.

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When death had taken Him, and when all life had looked away, it was the Father’s mercy that raised Him, from darkness to brightest day.

© 2016 Steve Wickham.