Praise be to you, Lord God, that you are a God of mercy—six times in Psalm 86 the author mentions your monumental mercy, two of them being, “You are good and ready to forgive and abundant in mercy to all who call upon you” (86:5). And, “You are a God full of compassion, gracious, slow to anger and abundant in mercy and truth” (86:15 NKJV).

In this list of qualities, we see the complexity of your perfect character, Lord, putting together aspects that, from our perspective, are mutually exclusive: your marvelous mercy and your tough truth.

The reality is that we deserve punishment, death and eternal separation from you, that you hate sin and will punish it, that this must and will happen—yet in your marvelous, unwarranted mercy you have opened a door in the hard, unyielding rock wall of Truth, a way through for us to flee from what we deserve to the forgiveness you have offered us.

And this door of mercy, grace and forgiveness was opened at great personal cost to you, a cost that is ongoing, as you allow us to grieve you in our rebellion, sin, indifference and selfishness. As J.I. Packer put it, you have willfully tied your happiness to your relationship with us! Therefore, you share with us the sweet and sour experience of waiting for the as-of-yet unfulfilled perfection of Heaven. We have the longing to be with you, yet need to remain here until your time for us is complete.

Help us now to be with you in loving you through obedience, in extending your mercy to others, that we may give you ongoing happiness.