Psalms 103:8

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Exodus 34:4-7

So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Mercy is not something God has, but something that God is.  So, the mercy of God has no beginning, has no end, and is eternal and perfect.  But, as there are many mysteries regarding God, he does not forgive the guilty.  Mercy and judgement work perfectly together within the Godhead.  It was His mercy that brought Christ from heaven to take on the guilt of our sin, allowing God’s mercy to work perfectly in our lives.  When we run to the cross, we receive salvation.  If we don’t, then His judgement will be served.

I don’t pretend to understand how all of that works, only that it does.  We can’t, because our understanding of mercy isn’t perfect.  We dispense mercy and justice in our lives and then attempt to transfer that understanding into how that works with God.  It just doesn’t work.  Fortunately, God’s mercy is perfect, eternal, and can never be exhausted.

Father, thank You for your mercy.  Forgive me when my lack of understanding causes me to question it.  Help me to trust that mercy and justice are perfect in You.  Thank You for your free gift of salvation.  I pray for those that have yet to accept it.  May they see the cross of Christ and run to it.  I pray all this in Your name.  Amen.