We are in the midst of a series about talking with God. Knowing His heart and character is key in spending time with Him. The more we know Him for who He is the more we want to talk with God and the more we want to see lost people come to know Him.
2 Peter 3:9 says, “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” In Matthew 25 Jesus says that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, not us. He never intended for anyone to be separate from Him. But if we choose not to receive His free gift of salvation we choose to stay separate from Him.
There is an intriguing story in 2 Samuel 13 and 14. Please watch the video to get a summary of it. (Or better yet read it in your Bible!) And the culmination of the story is a powerful verse in 2 Samuel 14:14, “For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground which cannot be picked up again. But the Lord does not take away a life, but He devises means (schemes, strategies) so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.” Wow! For every sinner God is working on schemes and strategies to get them to respond to His love and come home!
James 13b says, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” In the Old Testament it says repeatedly that God is “gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love.” We miss God’s heart because we misunderstand the law. It was in place to reveal our sin and to lead us to our need of Jesus! It was not put in place to beat us up, put us down, or to shame us.
Where did the presence of God “dwell” in Old Testament times? The Bible says that God’s presence dwelt between the cherubim on the mercy seat. The law (the 10 commandments) were placed in the ark of the covenant. And over the ark of the covenant was the mercy seat. This is a beautiful picture of mercy triumphing over judgment! God is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Misconceptions about God can keep us from talking with Him. This week, dive into God’s Word. See what the heart of God is like. Then memorize one of these verses and use it in a prayer to God. Remind God of what He has said about your lost neighbor, friend or family member and ask Him to move on their behalf. He loves it when we do that!
