"Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."
-Micah 7:18-19
Although these words from the prophet Micah were directed at the Northern and Southern kingdoms, they contain a universal truth about our God's character: He is compassionate and merciful. In the same way that He does not retain His anger towards the rebellion of Israel and Judah, He does not retain His anger against us (Romans 5:8.) God does not delight in wrath or punishment, but rather loving kindness, or mercy in other translations. But along with being merciful He is also just. Because of this, sin and rebellion can not go unpaid for. The sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf was God's greatest display of mercy.
In the previous verses Micah laments the people's transgressions (7:2-6) and their consequences (7-9 this being captivity.) But God will deliver those who turn back to Him. He will rebuild and restore them (10-17.) Bridgeway Bible Commentary puts it perfectly "His punishment of them is temporary, but his forgiveness is eternal." While we also face consequences for decisions we make here on Earth, our sins are trampled and cast into the sea when we repent and place our trust in Jesus Christ.
Now here's the call to action. In the same way that God delights in mercy and forgives our transgressions, do we do the same for others? (Matthew 6:14-15) We are called to be a reflection of the Lord we serve. As damaging to our pride as it may be, forgiveness is a characteristic of God we must strive to reflect. We should not retain our anger, holding petty grudges and bringing up old wounds (Ephesians 4:31-32) Instead, we should delight in forgiving and showing mercy to those that wrong us. Easier said than done, right? Thankfully the same God who forgives us will also gladly give us the strength and wisdom we need to carry out this task when we ask. Will we get it right every time? No. But as we walk closer with the Lord and study His Word it will come to us more naturally (Ephesians 4:20-24.)
Thank you for reading! I hope revisiting this short devotion from the Spring 2022 Newsletter encouraged you today. I pray you seek to show others the same compassion and mercy the Father has shown you each and every day. I also pray you come to know His character more fully as you pursue a relationship with Him.