Mercy and Truth

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
Proverb 16:6 (KJV)

We all make mistakes… not one of us is sinless… perfect. Daily we struggle with a sin nature that is with us from breakfast until sleeps first snore. Some days we walk the walk and other days we… well… get ran over… some days it would be better for others if we just stayed in bed...

Why?... our sin. Sin hardens our hearts (Hebrews 3:13) and we need to hear the truth even though we may not like it. God’s Word is truth (John 17:17) and it testifies of the Truth… Jesus Christ (John 14:6). The truth in Christ will set us free from sin (John 8:32).

We need mercy, forgiveness, help… healing… for in ourselves we are hopeless.

It is this hopelessness… this brokenness… this ‘going through the fire’ that changes our heart… that cleanses our heart… it is through these experiences that “iniquity is purged.”

There is no easy way around it. We don’t learn the ‘fear of the Lord’ on a mountain-top… but in the valley and often alone… very alone. Our comfort is not a friend but God’s Word, prayers and tears… We realize that our dependency is not on ourselves, a church, or a relative. God teaches us that He is our only dependency… our only help. In the valley experience we learn that God’s ways are right. We learn to fear Him… to respect Him… to give glory to Him instead of on ourselves for we see a glimmer of his holiness and our sinful awfulness… Alone, in the shadows of the valley we are taught a fear of losing His peace… and our intimacy with Him.

God loves you too much to leave you in your present spiritual condition. He is constrained through love to rid you of your sinful ways and to teach you His ways.

Our love for Him should prompt our hearts to “depart from evil”… to turn from our ways… and to have a heart shaped by his mercy and his truth…