“The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103:8-12 NIV
When God answers your prayer, how do you typically respond? Several biblical scholars suggest that Psalm 103, entitled “Praise for the Lord’s Mercies,” may very well be David giving thanks to God for answering his prayer of need in Psalm 102. Perhaps you respond with a quick but sincere, “Thank you, Lord!” If the prayer that was answered left you speechless and not feeling worthy of the blessing God gave you, it may lead to a deep gratitude of God’s mercy in spite of shortcomings that feed your guilt and shame. In cases like those, it should please us to remember what’s true about God.
We were purposefully created with a range of emotions; we feel as God feels. God demonstrates anger, which we see kindled against His own people and others in the OT. In the NT, we see Jesus turning over tables in the temple while chasing out those who were profaning the purpose of His Father’s house. While anger is something God portrays, His anger is not eternal. It is an emotion He invokes, but not something He constantly has burning against those He made in His own image.
So what is something eternal that God holds for His people? Love. Throughout the history of the creation itself, love is the primary way God chooses to reveal Himself and make Himself known. The love God has for us transcends any measure and surpasses any amount of words that aims to comprehensively describe its depth. His actions and compassion toward us are soaked in His love, His grace, and His mercy. You are forgiven when you ask, and you are seen when no one else sees you. “Praise the LORD, my soul!”
Action: Write down or think about when God has answered your prayer. In your own way, praise Him for His goodness and grace. Next, write down or think about a prayer request you consider out-of-range or not likely to be answered how you desire. Give it to the Lord in prayer, and trust that He works for the good of those who love Him.