The Watchman's Diary

There are those who deny the existence of God, and thus, sin. The only transgression they acknowledge is what they feel has been committed against them—whatever offends them. They are often quick to anger, slow to forgive, and focused on vengeance. These are emboldened even more because we live in a time that celebrates vigilantism, vengeance, and anger as a means of strength. They see the message of the Gospel as weakness and ineffective for our time. They deny God, embrace deception, and has no problems embracing adoration from others; they are their own god.

It is easy to develop a sense of righteous indignation against those who act in this way. Even to the point of wondering why God doesn’t just destroy them. We must never forget that we too are recipients of God’s grace and aside from his lovingkindness, once stood at the edge of damnation. He holds life and death in the palm of His hands, not us, and how blessed we are for that. If God were to judge us according to our own standards of judgement, we would not live long on the earth. 

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9)

God’s mercy should not be taken lightly and is by no means an acquittal to those who deny Him. Yes, “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power [but He] will not at all acquit the wicked” (Nahum 1:3). How often have you seen the unmerciful plea for mercy when the tables turn on them? God will turn the tables on the wicked and they will plea for mercy. If you find yourself far from mercy, I beg you to draw near to God and allow His love to shine through you. 

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God” (3 John 11)

In our age of “stars” and “idols” we too often look to those who are wealthy and popular as examples. We are a generation of brand names and are consumed by the success of others. We readily imitate others because we believe people will be impressed by the very things that impress us. This reality makes the Apostle John’s encouragement even more timeless. Long before television programs like American Idol and the Apprentice, the Apostle John encouraged us to imitate God. Jesus came to show us how to live holy unto God, and we are to imitate Him, growing more into His image each day (2 Cor. 3:17-18).

We are all recipients of God’s mercy. How much delight do you take in that fact? Do you imitate Him by showing mercy or do you imitate evil by seeking vengeance?