I spent a lot of time in the book of Jonah lately. I didn’t so much enter the fish, as I tried to sit beneath the vine with him. If you care to hear the lesson that flowed from sitting there, it’s here.)
In the process, I was led to Micah’s writings, particularly this bit…
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.” (7:18)
I’ve been captured by that thought: Delight to show mercy.
God is maker of all—fully aware of all that universe has to offer. All authority is His, and every role waiting to be played as well—Judge, Critic, Score-keeper, Counselor, Adviser, Disciplinarian, and more—He is perfectly suited and empowered to play these.
But He delights in showing mercy.
It tickles His heart to be display compassion, and it thrills His soul to extend grace into the life of another.
It is His delight.
That strikes me as a big deal!
One reason: I suspect we are invited into the joy of God. Scripture, the New Testament especially, speaks of us as heirs, with rights and privileges equal to those of Jesus himself. One of God’s acts of mercy towards us is to extend a hand of invite into His joy.
And take note: He finds delight in showing mercy.
It is so much easier to play the cynic, to find fault, criticize, and keep whatever form of score seems most flattering to myself.
And it is such a delight-less path to walk.
Delight—of a quality fit for the Divine and those made in His image—that is found in showing mercy to one another.