Your Own Mercy

“They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.”- Jonah 2:8

Mercy is God’s unmerited favor.  It is extended towards all mankind, and it is something that is predestined to both you and me.  God’s infinite mercy flows down through the line of time and without we would be doomed.  The scripture says that the Lord’s mercy endureth forever.  It also says that it is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not, and that mercy rejoiceth against (or until) judgment.  The mercy of God is fully, completely, and entirely extended to you and me. 

To understand the subject of lying vanities we can look back through the scriptures and find numerous examples.  The Israelites, when they thought Moses was dead on the mountain top, called up Aaron to make a golden calf to be worshiped.  In the time of the kings of Israel, they would build altars to false gods and establish areas of “worship” (sinful acts and unholy sacrifices).  The nations around Israel would serve gods that they believe would bring prosperity, vitality, and victory.  When people observe lying vanities, they observe manufactured gods of this world that they place their trust and hope in.  These gods are of the creature, and not the Creator.  It is no different today.  When our hope and trust is placed in manufactured gods we create and we ourselves are given to support, exalt and encourage such; we “observe lying vanities”.  The stock market, universities, governments, public figures, sports/movie stars, politicians are just some of the many lying vanities that cannot save.  If observed with time, devotion, trust, and sacrifice they will demand that you forsake your own mercy.  Not to mention the love and practice of committing sin against God.  When you “observe” lying vanities, you “forsake your own mercy.”  You forsake the mercy of God reaching down to bring true redemption.  To point you in the way of salvation.  You forsake the Christ that died and the blood that bought your pardon.  Blood that can redeem you from the pit of sin and bring you back to the plains of righteousness.  You forsake the fellowship with God, and His guiding providence over your life.  God desires to lead his people.  How can he do it when we are wrapped up in “observing” the lying vanities of the world?  God’s mercy is always reaching, but how often is it cast aside to observe the vanity of this world?  A world that we will soon pass away from.  

If a soul’s worship is directed towards the creature more than the Creator, his call on that soul’s life extends only so far.  Then one day it dies and meets judgment forsaking the mercy that God intended.  God will justifiably send the soul to hell; a soul has been given mercy and willingly chose to forsake that mercy.  Why would we be angry with a God who did exactly what he said he was going to do?  It is the lying vanities that must be forsaken so that the truth of the gospel can shine through and bring us into the worship of the one true God.  When we reach judgment, it will be forever too late.  Too late for the sinner to convert and come to Christ, and too late for the Christian to do any more for Christ.  As the scripture says: “If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.” (Ecclesiastes 11:3)