The Good News About God

      Can we all agree that there are some serious problems with mankind?  We listen to the news for even a few minutes, and we see stories of crime and cruelty.  The wickedness and brokenness are not just out there within “them,” but it’s warped all of us.  We look in the mirror and see a person who is sometimes proud, impatient, unkind and selfish.  God made man is His image, beautiful, unique, and pure.  But he gave mankind the precious gift called free will which we use to turn from Him.  God despises sin and eventually will have to separate Himself from unrepentant sinners.  But thankfully God gives us hope.  I love this description of God in what I call the “clean pages” of the Bible, meaning the sections people do not read very often.  In Micah 7:18, 19 listen to this description of God. “Who is a God like you, who pardons sins and forgives the transgressions of the remnant of his inheritance?  You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.  You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
       In a word, God offers us grace!  Which simply means undeserved favor.  The line that grabbed my heart was “delight to show mercy.”   He loves us so deeply that despite what we deserve, He delights to show mercy.  Wow!  I need God’s mercy, don’t you? Another line that is meaningful is that He does “not stay angry forever.”  Yes, there are times when He is angry with us.  Yes, there can be correction and even punishment in this life but through salvation in Christ we do not have to deal with eternal wrath. 
      Another section of this description of God I find comforting is the line “you will again have compassion on us.”  How many times has God had to forgive the same sin in you or me?  She acted selfishly again.  He engaged with porn again.  How many times have we said something that we regretted.  God’s grace and compassion for us is patient and persevering.  I am enjoying watching my little grandchildren learning to walk, they fall repeatedly but they keep getting back up.  I think my grandfather heart that sees the falls but roots for the next attempt reflects the heart of God as He watches us walk forward in a halting yet growing holiness. 
      The final symbolic description of God’s grace in this brief passage says that He will “hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”  I love the strong word choice of “hurl.” According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average depth of the ocean is 12,080 feet, this is over two miles in depth!  And the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean, can reach 35,876 feet deep.  That is close to seven miles!   This is a powerful picture that God removes our sins from us.  They are “hurled” far from us.  That is so encouraging.  
        The face of this grace is seen in the sinless life, sacrificial death and stunning resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6), the second person of the Triune God we serve.  For God’s Grace, let’s all embrace that good news!

Pastor Derek Dickinson
Journey Christian Church