Romans 9:26 NKJV
It shall come to pass where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there they shall be called sons of the living God.
The mercy of God is what keeps us going daily. If not for God’s mercy, we would perish. Mercy does not mean receiving what we deserve. God is always just. However, He also has the authority to show additional fairness to certain people as He sees fit (Exodus 33:19). God’s mercy is not an obligation that we can demand from Him. God was not required to show mercy to Israel because then it would have been an obligation and not His mercy.
Apostle Paul, the author of Romans, addressed the concept of God’s mercy in this chapter. In today’s verse, Paul quotes Prophet Hosea, who prophesied God’s warning that Israel would no longer be His people (Hosea 1:9). Despite Israel’s wickedness, God showed them compassion by preserving a faithful remnant. Today, not just the Israelites but all those who believe in the resurrected Saviour are called sons of the living God. This demonstrates God’s generous mercy towards His children, though they were undeserving!
It is vital that we don’t feel entitled like the Israelites or take God’s mercy for granted. No one can earn God’s mercy. Those saved should be thanking God, and those who perish cannot blame Him.
God’s mercy can change us as we read in the life of King David. Despite his failures, David understood the heart of God and knew where to turn in the end. He says in 2 Samuel 24:14 – “Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man”. Today, like David, trust in the God whose mercy is great!
