A Great God - A Mighty Goal

"The LORD is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
Nor repay us according to our iniquities."

(Psalm 103:8-10)

What an amazing description of God's dealing with our sins!

God is merciful and gracious.
God is slow to anger.
God is abounding in steadfast love.
God will not always chide.
God will not keep His anger forever.
God does not deal with us according to our sins.
God does not repay us according to our iniquities.

That's how God is. But it is NOT how I am.

When someone sins against me, I get angry and seek revenge.
When someone sins against me, I want to hold it against them.
When someone sins against me, I want to bring it up to them over and over again.
When someone sins against me, I am anything but merciful and gracious.

And I only know that sin which that person has done against me.

God knows all of my sins. Even the ones that no one else knows about. He knows what I think. I don't know what others think about me.

And His standard for sin is much higher than mine. He cannot look at sin. He is more greatly offended at sin than I am.

A great God who deals with my sin with mercy and gracious.

A mighty goal for me in dealing with those who sin against me.