Others Fell, You Stood: The Unusual Mercy of God
When You Receive the Unusual Mercy of God
In God's dealings with man, there is a time of judgment and a time of mercy. God is the Father of mercies who, at times, shows unusual mercy to some people when others in the same situation are consumed in judgment. Sarah enjoyed God's unusual mercy when she laughed the heavenly visitors to scorn over the reaffirmation of the promise that she was going to have a child. Instead of divine judgment falling upon her, God kept her alive to enjoy the fulfilment of the promise she doubted. This was unlike the chief who doubted the prophecy of abundance through Elisha and died in a stampede on the day of its fulfilment.
"And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh."
Genesis 18:9-15 (KJV)
Unbelief is a great sin against God; it was a reason why the children of Israel could not enter into the Promised Land. Even though Sarah had faith all along, her faith had really become weak, to the extent that she could laugh at the words of the heavenly visitors.
By the standard of the Old Testament, Sarah should have suffered a severe judgment from God, but the Lord spared her because the time to favour her had come. When you notice in your life that mercy triumphs over judgment, it is a sign that you are being favoured by God.
It is like a situation where ten people commit the same sin and nine of them die, leaving only one behind. The only explanation for this is that God chose to favour the only survivor with an unusual display of mercy. That is why he remained alive when he should have died like the others.
Let me sound a note of warning here. Favour from God through an unusual show of mercy is given to enable the recipient to draw near to Him, amend his ways, and live the rest of his life in obedience to His purpose. God's mercy should therefore not be taken for granted in the time of His favour.
"And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy."
Exodus 33:19 (KJV)
That God is sovereign is very clear. It means that He does not owe anyone an explanation for anything He does. Yet He does not do evil, neither does He exercise His power without a reason. As the Creator of all, He has the right to do whatever He wishes.
A car manufacturer who decides to destroy his product and redesign it does not commit any offence against anybody. He has the right to do this, as it is his business. This is exactly how we are in the hands of God.
That is why, any time Israel committed a sin collectively, God made some of them die by the sword, some by disease, and some by going into captivity, while a few were retained as a remnant. For the remnant, it is an unusual show of His mercy, because they are favoured. I believe that among the remnant being favoured by God today, you are one.
Conclusion
Mercy is not something we deserve; it is something God chooses to give. Sarah laughed at His promise and should have faced judgment, yet she lived to hold her son. If you are still alive, still standing, and still carrying a promise, it is not luck or accident. It is the unusual mercy of God at work in your life.
But mercy comes with a purpose. God spares us so that we may draw near to Him, amend our ways, and walk in obedience to His plan. Do not take His mercy for granted; answer it with a surrendered life.
So give thanks today. You were not overlooked by judgment; you were chosen for mercy. Live as a testimony of the God who spared you.
Comments