God has a big heart

 Today we read from Amos 7:1-9:15 in the One Year Bible. God is about to send some locusts to ravage the land of Israel, and Amos says, "Please don't, because it would kill Israel, they're so small."

And God says OK, He won't.

We see this over and over in the Bible - God threatens punishment and wrath, and then one of three things happens - either He changes His mind and doesn't do it after all, or the people repent and avoid catastrophe, or someone intercedes on their behalf and God relents.

See, as we've read recently in the One Year Bible, God doesn't WANT to destroy us. It grieves Him. To say "God has a big heart" is just a weaker way of saying "God is love." He is love itself, and it hurts Him to have to punish those who refuse to repent and come back to Him.

It's really important for us to remember that God is willing that no one should perish - that means God WANTS everyone to go to heaven! Don't fall into the mistake of thinking that God is "willing" that no one should perish, meaning He's OK with it. It says in other places that God DESIRES for everyone to be saved.

So keep this in mind. God really does not want to punish you. If you give Him the slightest reason, He'll throw away your punishment and receive you with open arms.

Also, don't forget to intercede for other people. ESPECIALLY intercede for those who don't seem to deserve it - like child molesters and sex traffickers and white supremacists and Nazis. Pray for God's mercy on them, because He will in fact hear your prayer and have mercy if you do.

And all of us sinners can use a little mercy.

God, thanks for showing us Your big heart.