But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15
To understand what “abounding in love and faithfulness” means, look at the prayer of Jonah.
The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,
O Lord my God.
Jonah 2:5-6
Jonah learned the greatness of God’s compassion and grace through his desperate ordeal. So it is for us when we go through our own travails. When I wander like Jonah of old, God’s compassion seeks me out and swallows me. In His abounding love, He rescues me from the folly of my actions. Thankfully, God’s faithfulness and love are not negated by my unfaithfulness. Though I plunge into the darkest depths of the ocean, I know He will be there with me, and I can trust my Lord God to forgive me and bring me safely to shore.
Stephen L Hufman 