To Live is Christ — in constant wonder

Moses went up a mountain and received the Ten Commandments from God. His law was chiseled on stone, but when Moses came down the mountain, he discovered God’s people engaged in idolatry and threw the tablets to the ground. God called him back . . . 

At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain and make yourself an ark of wood. And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark.’ (Deuteronomy 10:1–2)

Although the children of God disobeyed Him, He gave them a second chance, and a third, and a fourth . . . He did not withhold His mercy. Even today, the promise remains that He will restore Israel and bring them back to faith in Him and a place in His kingdom.

The Bible tells me, “Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us. . . .” (Ephesians 5:1-2) That means I need to imitate the mercy of God on those who sin against me. I need to give people a second chance, and a third, and a fourth. . . . not withholding mercy in the hope that they will repent and turn from sin to God.

If I were a new Christian, I would say this was impossible. Who can do that? I know the ache of a wounded heart and the mistaken notion that angry retaliation will heal it. But I’ve years of walking with God and years of observing His power in the lives of those who love and obey Him. I also know the power of mercy and forgiveness.

I’ve seen a father forgive the person who murdered his son. I’ve seen wives forgive unfaithful husbands. I’ve seen estranged family members restored to loving relationships, and those robbed forgive the thieves. Second chances, third chances and more.

This is the power of God. He works in a person’s heart and changes the way His people think. Instead of anger and retaliation, He can fill us with mercy, empathy, and forgiveness. He brings peace to seemingly unresolvable rifts and makes the stubborn heart soft and compliant. All I need to be like this is in Christ — and Christ lives in me. All I need to be able to show this astonishing mercy is to ask Him. He will change my heart.

The chorus of an old song pops to mind, “The wonder of it all, the wonder of it all. Just to think that God loves me. Oh the wonder of it all, the wonder of it all. Just to think that God loves me” Amen!