Mercy And Truth
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face.” Psalm 89:14
There are two sides to God’s throne: one side is judgment, while the other is mercy. The Bible says that mercy and truth go before His face. We decide whether we are greeted with mercy or judgment.
When Jonah preached judgment in Nineveh, Jonah 3 – 4, the king proclaimed a fast throughout the land and the entire nation repented, and thereafter, God relented of His intended judgment and spared the Ninevites, but Jonah the judgment preacher got angry!
You remember the story of King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20. Upon receiving the word of the Lord, the king cried out to God, then the Lord spoke to Isaiah and told him to go back to the king! God had changed His mind and would extend his life by 15 years.
The Bible is full of God seemingly changing His mind. What is actually taking place is God willingly moving people from judgment to mercy because the people who know His heart choose to intercede.
The whole point of Jesus coming to die upon the cross should be proof enough that God does not desire to give us the judgement we deserve.
Listen to Jesus’ rebuke to the people of his day: But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Matthew 9:13
Prayer shifts people from God’s judgment to God’s mercy. It’s so powerful and so essential.
Choose to pray, intercede, move people from the judgment of God to the mercy of God!