The God of Mercy

The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Judges 6:11-13The Midianites had plagued God’s chosen people. Their attacks were so oppressive that the Israelites hid themselves to escape. They were brutal and it was their (the Midianites) brutality that caused the Israelites to call out to the Lord for help. God sent them a prophet to first remind them of His faithfulness and then to rebuke them regarding their unfaithfulness. But even with the rebuke God responded favorably to their cries.God has not changed and responds to those who hear His rebuke and turn to Him for deliverance and restoration.When things are going well it is easy to forget the Lord and all of the things He’s done. Unfortunately it is in times of distress and despair that cries to God are the loudest leading to sincere repentance and restoration. God knows that there are things that pull at your affections but don’t let them get in the way of your devotion to Him.“It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23