Rich in mercy
Jeremiah 31:3 is a statement of love and restoration that comes after dark prophetic predictions of God punishing his people.
Even when God allows us to suffer the consequences of our sin, he does not withhold his mercy.
Everyone deserves to be punished for sin, but God's punishment is always tempered with mercy because of his great love
for us. Ephesians 2:4-5 explains that we are saved from our sin only because of God's mercy.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead
because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have
been saved.)
Although we do not deserve to enter his presence, God wants us to come boldly before him. Hebrews 4:16 promises that we
will find mercy and grace—all that we need, exactly when we need it.
So let us come boldly to the throne of our Gracious God. There we will receive his mercy,
and we will find grace to help us when we need it.
God loves to show mercy! He eagerly waits for us to repent so that he can shower us with forgiveness. Micah 7:18 declares:
Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among his people? You
cannot stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing mercy.
from Living Water for Those Who Thirst Tyndale House Publishers (2000), pp 137-8
