One of the greatest and most wonderful attributes of God is that He delights in showing unconditional mercy - although we all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. The Bible says that God is gracious and full of compassion and that His mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
This means that God does not forgive us on condition that it will never happen again because what if it does happen again? God does not kill you or cut you off forever because God delights in mercy not judgment. (Micah 7:18)
Peter got up one day and asked Jesus, Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22) Jesus was telling Peter that in His kingdom, forgiveness is unconditional. Seventy times seven is 490 times! Who can possibly forgive the same person that many times in one day? Yet Jesus said to Peter, try seventy times seven. That means when God shows mercy, He does so without partiality, and unconditionally. God not only forgives, but He goes all the way, to the extent of erasing every memory of our wrongdoing. The writer of Hebrews gives us this revelation of God’s mercy.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 8:12)
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, for your unconditional mercy.
Thank you for your grace and compassion towards me.
Thank you for your mercies that are new to me every morning.
Thank you for not cutting me off because of my sins.
Thank you for erasing every memory of my wrongdoing.
Today, I determine to give unconditional mercy, grace and compassion to others.
I erase the wrongdoings of anyone who has wronged me in Jesus name!
Amen