God's Tender Mercies

Today I have been meditating on God’s tender mercies -

Ps 145:8-9 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Various dictionaries describe mercy as: A kind or forgiving attitude towards somebody that you have the power to harm or right to punish. Kindness in Excess of what may be expected or demanded by Fairness; a Disposition to Forgive; Forbearance and Compassion.

Bible Dictionary: “The Outward Manifestation of Compassion.” God’s mercy is a multifaceted aspect of His nature and will for all mankind. God’s mercy is designed to help those in need. Mercy is compassion for those in trouble, even if the trouble is of their own making, or their own fault.

Pastor Warren Wiersbe said this concerning the difference between Grace and Mercy: “God’s Grace gives us What we Do not Deserve, While God’s Mercy Does Not Give us What we Do Deserve.”

God’s mercy is wonderful – His tender mercies are totally over the top!!

Tender mercies are “very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ.”  (David A. Bednar, “The Tender Mercies of the Lord,” Liahona, May 2005, 99–102

Ex. 25:22 – the Lord is even seated in mercy!!

Here are some characteristics of God’s tender mercies:

• The Lord has made His tender mercies available forever (Ps. 25:6)

• The Lord keeps His tender mercies close to His people (Ps. 39:12)

• The Lord turns His love towards us because of His tender mercies (Ps. 69:16)

• The Lord sends His tender mercies swiftly to His people (Ps. 79:8)

• The Lord crowns, dignifies and beautifies our lives with His tender mercies (Ps. 103:4)

• The Lord surrounds our lives with His tender mercies (Ps. 119:77)

• The Lord has very many great tender mercies (Ps. 119:156)

• The Lord covers all of His creation with His tender mercies (Ps. 145:9)

• The Lord is moved to compassion because of the multitude of His tender mercies (Lam. 3:32)

• The Lord has visited us through the birth of Jesus because of His tender mercies (Lu. 1:78)

• The Lord calls us to pursue one another and deal with one another according to God’s tender mercies (Phil. 1:8; 2:1)

• The Lord is full of tender mercies (Jas. 5:11)

Now the Lord calls us - His people, to put on tender mercies - to wear God's mercies like a cloak (Col. 3:12) Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering

I think if we were clothed in His tender mercies, we would stop shooting our own wounded, and the world would see so much more of Christ in us!