ONE BAD KING AND ONE MERCIFUL GOD

The lord, who is great in power and righteous in all His ways, restrains His anger to show us mercy, not destining us for wrath, but for salvation through Jesus Christ. “The miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love.” ― Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest    Dane Ortlund - Not once are we told that God is 'provoked to love' or 'provoked to mercy.' It is His anger which requires provocation; BUT..his mercy is pent up, ready to gush forth." —It might appear as if God is willing to forestall judgment against evil indefinitely. There is no such evidence here! It would only be forestalled as long as the evil one was repentant. Three years later, Ahab again inquires of the prophets of Baal and hastening his death. Yet the mercy of God continued, in that Ahab never witnessed the death of his family. The judgment was completed after the death of Ahab. This is a classic example of God’s mercy: we should never forget, our God must be provoked to wrath but His mercy endures forever.  TEXT: 1 KINGS 21:15-29SONGS:TO GOD BE THE GLORY, FANNY CROSBYHIS MERCY IS MORE, MAT BOSWELLGIVE US CLEAN HANDS, CHRIS TOMLINSEARCH ME OH GOD, J. EDWIN ORR