Praising God for Not Getting What We Deserve
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
-- Psalm 103:8, 10 (NIV)
There’s no hiding it now. I shrieked, holding my hand as blood poured from where a glass shard stuck out. I had snuck into Mom’s bedroom when I spied her favorite nail polish. She was outdoors, so I quickly nabbed it, took it to my room, and tried to open it to paint my nails. But the bottle wouldn’t open. I’m unsure how my eight-year-old self broke the top off, but it shattered. I didn’t know what to do. Besides, my bright red nails would have told on me.
Mom heard me crying when she brought the mail in and dashed into my room. I braced myself for a scolding. She looked at my hand, “What happened?” She asked, pulling the glass piece out.
“I’m sorry, Mommy! I wanted pretty nails like yours.” I sniffled, sitting still as she cleaned my hand. ”Are you going to punish me?”
“No,” she said while she bandaged the wound. “You got your punishment already. Why didn’t you ask me if we could paint your nails when I painted mine?”
“I thought you’d say no,” I replied, pouty-faced. “Thank you, Mommy.” She hugged me. Certainly, Mom was angry, but her grace taught me a valuable lesson.
God gets angry when we disobey Him, yet He shows us compassionate grace. In Psalm 103, penned by King David, we read that even though we sin, we can praise God when He doesn’t give us what we deserve. God had shown King David grace when he sinned numerous times. Instead of killing David for his sin or deposing him as king, God allowed David to learn from his misdoings. King David wrote this Psalm honoring God’s grace.
God shows us grace when we jump ahead of Him, don’t listen to Him, or do things our way. The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus paid for our sins on the Cross by dying in our place. That’s grace. He teaches us lessons rather than punishes us as our sin deserves. His goal isn’t our destruction. Rather, He draws us into a closer relationship with Him.
Have you taken that job the Holy Spirit cautioned you about? You realized too late it wasn’t the one, so you are job hunting again. Have you spoken harsh words to someone you love, only to see them pull away? The strained relationship limps along, and those words can’t be taken back. He often lets us reap the consequences of those mistakes, doesn’t He? We must learn to trust Him. God has good things for us, not bad. His grace allows us to feel the consequences of our mistakes to mold us more into the image of His Son.
This week, praise Him for His grace when you sin. Next, determine what you should do instead. Then, thank Him for His unconditional love for you.
Questions for Reflection:
1. How can you make the best of your situation or even improve it?
2. Can you apologize and ask forgiveness for your mistakes?
