Between Jim Brown and Mark Cahill at iGo, and now me reading Organic Church by Neil Cole I am really being gutted emotionally.  I am finding myself so convicted that I am not bearing fruit in terms of a harvest of souls.  Well, God, I hope you’re happy, you’ve got me on my knees begging for fruit.  I just want to be the good soil so badly.

So last night a song popped into my head, and all I could remember was “Praise the Lord… o my soul… praise the Lord!”  Then “As far as the east is from the west… that’s how far he has removed our transgressions from us!”  But for the life of me I couldn’t remember the song’s title.

Then I get up this morning and read the book of Jonah.  What’s right there in front of me?  Jonah complaining about God’s personality.  “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” (Jonah 3:2b)

Don’t you just hate people who abound in love and compassion?  How much more annoying is it when it is your God?  O for a God of Justice!

Oh, wait.  I’m me.  Little old sinful me who doesn’t deserve the dust from the heel of God.  Yeah God whose love has purchased me from facing his justice!

By the way, the song is called “The Lord is Gracious and Compassionate”.

The Lord Is Gracious and Compassionate

(Graham Ord)

The Lord is gracious and compassionate
Slow to anger and rich in love
The Lord is gracious and compassionate
Slow to anger and rich in love

Praise the Lord, oh my soul
Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord, oh my soul
Praise the Lord

And the Lord is good to all
He has compassion in all that He has made
As far as the east is from the west
That’s how far He has removed our transgressions from us
(repeat)

Copyright © 1998 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire). All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

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