“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” {Psalm 136:1}
A few years ago I attended a wedding that sent everyone buzzing about it a month later: the bride left her new husband and annulled their marriage after only three weeks. Apparently, she reconnected with an old boyfriend from a couple of years ago, and wanted to be with him instead. At that time she was engaged, but gave the ring back to her fiancé because of this other guy who came onto the scene. It didn’t work out with the boyfriend, so she went back to her former fiancé, and that is the man she eventually married. Then like clockwork, the other guy shows up before the wedding and catches her interest again, so her marriage only lasted three weeks. Who says these things only happen in soap operas!
Instead of calling off the wedding she went through with it, and had everyone believe she was still in love with the groom. I could still see her walking down the aisle and joining her fiancé, who was so in love with her and going through the ritual of a wedding. We were all so happy because this is a couple we thought were a match from heaven. We thought at long last she had seen the light, and after all the heartache they went through they were really meant to be. They’ve been going out since she was practically a child and we saw how her husband from the very beginning was wild and crazy about her. There were a lot of hooting and whistling and clapping and rejoicing over them during the wedding. Three weeks later it all fell apart. No one knew except a couple of her confidants that the old boyfriend had returned and she wanted to be with him still.
I’ve thought and thought about them since and wondered, why oh why did she go through the wedding? Why did she not talk to her fiancé and tell him the truth? Why lead everyone to think, including her wonderful fiancé, that she still felt the same? All I could think of is that she’s still very young. She must have been so scared to see all the wedding arrangements put together and all the money spent on it, and now she realizes too late that she truly loves someone else. What is one to do at 23-24, being so young and inexperienced? Surely she was terrified and knew nothing else but to go along with the whole thing.
I thought about how just a week before her bridal shower, she had exclaimed to me how in love and happy she was with her future husband. That he was the best for her, and how he’s so good to her. That seemed to change during the reception when I went to take a picture of them, and she looked annoyed at him and had stuck her tongue at me showing her distaste of – him? Surely she’s not serious? It was bizarre to me then, but now it made sense. She was letting me know she was so unhappy and obviously did not care for him anymore.
This event would come to haunt me now and again, and when it does I of course would talk to the Lord about it, always feeling pity for the husband and distaste over the bride. At first I was furious at her, furious to the heights of heaven. I felt no mercy towards her, none whatsoever. I thought about what she had done, and did not care whatsoever to pray for her happiness with this rekindled relationship she has with her boyfriend. As a matter of fact, I secretly wished she would end up heartbroken again.
But then one day I had a real heart to heart talk with the Lord and I saw another side of this scenario. I saw her in love with this guy and saw her alone. I remember the things I went through myself of how many times I thought I was really in love with a person, and then realized later on I was not after all. I saw how young and foolish she was and remembered my own foolishness. Sure, I did not go to the extent of marrying someone and then dumping him afterwards three weeks later! But ugh, I do remember talking marriage to a boyfriend, and then my real husband-to-be came along and I forgot about this boyfriend altogether. I never even really broke up with him. I was still going out with him when the person I now truly believe is my wonderful, amazing, meant-to-be husband, arrived. I heard later on how heartbroken this boyfriend was and I thought it was ridiculous! We only went out couple of months, maybe three, surely he can’t be serious? I couldn’t believe anyone would be heartbroken over me!
It is amazing how lenient we can get when it’s our own fault and mistakes, but get so merciless when it’s someone else’s. They are not any different from us, just a different scenario and we forget ourselves altogether. When we finally have done something right we totally forget our own sins. We think we’ve done right all along.
Thus is the mercy of God. He let me see the error of my thoughts. Not that He was showing these things to me to condemn me and make me feel bad. But, He was trying to remind me to be merciful. That believe it or not, He actually feels bad for the bride. He does not approve of what she’s done, but nevertheless he still loves her and understands her.
Remember King David? He was an ever-lover of God. The one who danced before the Lord and praised Him and loved Him in front of thousands of people, and did not care what they thought of him. He stood for righteousness. He hated lying and wickedness. If he knew anyone who did not show mercy to a person, he would be the first one to condemn that man. But then one day he saw a beautiful woman called Bathsheba, and took her and slept with her, even though he knew that she belonged to another man. Later, David lost all dignity and stooped so low as to send a letter through this very husband who was a soldier to his captain. There in the letter (unbeknownst to the husband), David told the captain to have this husband put in the forefront of the battle, and leave him there so that he will be killed. Then David would have Bathsheba all to himself without having to worry about the husband.
Later, God sent prophet Nathan to tell King David of a very sad story. It was about a rich man who killed the only pet lamb his poor neighbor had, to serve to a traveling guest (rather than taking his own lamb from his vast herds of sheep). The rich man could have had as many sheep as he wanted from his own flock and it wouldn’t have even made a dent, yet he stole and killed the only cherished pet lamb of his poor neighbor. When King David heard this he was furious! He said that man showed no mercy and should be put to death. The prophet Nathan turned to David and said, “Thou art the man.”
This was just a story God gave to prophet Nathan to show David of the wickedness of what he had done stealing another man’s wife. David had many wives and multiple concubines, yet he went and stole Bathsheba from Uriah the Hittite, who only had one cherished wife. God knew that David would relate completely to this story because he alone knew David’s heart. Even though he did what he did, it didn’t mean he completely lost all righteousness. He knew what was right still, so much so that when he recognized the evil that he had done, he repented.
God was definitely angry with David and disapproved of what he had done. He told prophet Nathan because of it the sword will not leave David’s house. Meaning, he will definitely have trouble and sorrow in his life henceforth because of this. Essentially what he had sown he will reap. Yet, see the mercy of God here. When David acknowledged his sin before the Lord and repented, he was told that God had taken his sin away and that he will not die. Not only that, we see later that David still ended up with Bathsheba, the woman he had coveted and even had children with her. Later, their son Solomon became David’s heir to the throne. God actually had chosen Solomon himself, and the Bible states that God had loved him. Who knew God can be this merciful? You would think he would have none of the offspring from this relationship and yet there it is. History shows us He chose Solomon to be the next king.
“And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him. And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.” {2 Samuel 12:24-25}
God is incredibly amazing in His love and in His mercy. Just when you think you are no longer in His favor, try Him out. Talk to Him. If you will just be honest with Him about who you are and how sorry you are about your faults and your sins, you will be surprised how incredibly understanding He is.
He said in His word, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” {Exodus 33:19}
I tell you, God is truly a very merciful God. All I could think of now is that I hope the bride who left her husband would talk to the Lord and confess to Him and tell Him her heart. She will surely find a very merciful God on her side. He understands her above all. If she would be but be honest with Him about her true self and her true desires, and be sorry for what she’s done before Him, God will not only forgive her but also will help her find true joy and His favor again. He will even bless her.
“So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” {Romans 9:16}
Prayer
How kind and truly merciful You are Jesus to have come down to give us Your life even when we are so undeserving. How can we ever thank You for Your grace and Your mercy upon us? Surely, there is nothing we can ever do or say that can ever make up for the love You’ve shown at Calvary. I thank You, Father. I thank You for Your grace and Your goodness and Your love for us.
Father, I pray that You will help us to be more kind and more gentle like You. Help us to be more understanding and merciful of each other’s faults, knowing that You are ever always so ready to forgive us whenever we mess up and confess our sins to You. Father, help us not to be afraid to come to You either, and be open and honest with You about our faults and shortcomings. Help us to trust in Your love for us, knowing that You will never condemn us or scorn us but will ever be gentle and merciful to us, always loving and forgiving. Father, please help us to trust You and love You today. I pray, in Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
