“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. —Jeremiah 9:23-24
When we come before this passionate Bridegroom as His cherished bride, Jesus progressively reveals certain aspects of His heart to us. Typically, He begins with His tenderness and mercy. This is the same tenderness and mercy that encounter us at salvation, when we feel utterly weightless and free and jubilant—and rightly so. Jeremiah tells us God delights in showing us loving-kindness. God knows we can bring nothing to the bargaining table to motivate Him to deal kindly with us. He is fully motivated within Himself to be merciful. But this is an extremely difficult message for people to receive. When sincere lovers of Christ stumble due to weakness or immaturity, they often hold it against themselves for months or even years. The truth is, when we ask for forgiveness, the Lord forgives us instantly. His tenderness toward us far surpasses our own. Oh, the tender dealings of the Bridegroom’s heart!
{ PRAYER STARTER }
Lord, in Your tenderness and mercy You have offered me Your glorious salvation. Your loving-kindness has bestowed on me the blessings of Your inheritance. Your forgiveness has freed me from my sins, and in gentleness You are preparing me to spend eternity with You in heaven.
We are often too hard on ourselves, thinking that
condemning ourselves will somehow make it all
better or will help God to love us.
