DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD

“Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in
affliction and iron; because they rebelled against the words of God . . .
therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there
was none to help" (Psalm 107:10-12).

They were bound in affliction because they rebelled against God and rejected
His counsel (see verse 11). Beloved, could this be you? You have sat under
godly preaching and the Holy Spirit has convicted you but still you are
miserable and continue to sin.

When a person willfully disobeys the Word of God, his tendency is to hide and
cower in fear. He may feel that it is all over, thinking, "God can't use me."
When you are in that condition, the devil will whisper to you, "There is no
deliverance for you. You're one of those people who never change. God has had
it with you—your sin has caused Him to hide His face."

Satan will pound you with Scriptures, misquoting them all. When you sit in
church, you will hear only judgment, not God’s mercy—because you are under
such guilt, condemnation and fear.

I am not referring to people who hide from God because they love their sin.
Rather, I am talking about Christians who have taken a fall but still have a
sorrow and a hatred for their sin. Something inside them cries, "I have hurt
God."

To this Christian, God's Word promises: "Then they cried unto the Lord in their
trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of
darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that men
would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works. . . . For
he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder" (Psalm
107:13-16).

God never has—and never will—hide His face from a crying child of His. No
matter how far you have fallen or how many promises you have made to God—and
broken—He will always hear your cry for help and bring you back into close
fellowship with Him.



Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/17155?src=devo-email

I agree God's mercy is an enduring mercy for all who cry out to Him. This past Sunday in the evening message I used an example to show that God is merciful if men and women will turn to Him.
Usually when we think of the book of Jonah we think of the prophet who was swallowed by a great fish or whale. But the story is about God's mercy in having the prophet preach of God's judgment to that wicked city. The message was that the city would be overthrown in 40 days! But the king called a fast in the city and began to mourn and cry out to God. God heard and repented of the evil that He had said He would do to them, and He did it not.
What a merciful God we have.
If people will just call unto Him. He never turns anyone away!