THE NATURE OF GOD THAT MAKES MARRIAGE WORK — THE POWER OF MERCY

Exodus 34:5–8 (KJV):And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

When God revealed Himself to Moses, He did not begin by announcing His greatness, His power, or His wealth. He could have said, “I am the Lord your God, I am powerful, I am mighty, I am love, I am wisdom, I am abundance, I am the source of all things.” He could have introduced Himself with a list of His glorious accomplishments.. He could have declared, “I have strength, I have riches, I have angels at my command, I rule the heavens and the earth.” But He chose to begin with something deeper, something eternal, something that reveals His heart — “The Lord God, merciful and gracious.”

If I were to put it in today’s language, I would have expected God to introduce Himself the way many introduce themselves in our generation: “I am kind, I am rich, I have a job, I have  houses in various choice locations, I have the latest brands of cars, I have cryptocurrency enough to keep you from working hard for the rest of your life.” Yet the Almighty chose instead to reveal His nature, not His possessions. He wanted Moses to know who He is, not just what He has. Because what He has flows out of who He is.

What is Mercy? Mercy is God’s tender heart toward human weakness. It is compassion that chooses understanding instead of condemnation. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (Psalm 103:8).

Marriage is the union of two imperfect people. The best of a man is still a man, and the best of a woman is still a woman. You are not marrying an angel. Marriage is not a fairy tale where two people ride into the sunset and live happily ever after. It is where you discover that the way your spouse sleeps irritates you, the way they chew annoys you, and the way they snore tests your patience. It is where you realize that love must mature into mercy.

“And above all things have fervent love among yourselves, for love shall cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Love covers, but mercy sustains. It takes mercy to respond to the limitations and weaknesses of your spouse without being judgmental or harsh. Mercy is what keeps love from becoming legalistic. God does not deal with us according to our faults, but according to His compassion. Marriage must operate by the same principle. Without mercy, two imperfect people will destroy each other.

When your spouse fails, respond with tenderness. Mercy does not excuse sin; it creates space for redemption. Mercy builds a home where healing can take place. A merciful home is a safe home. Think about how often God has overlooked your own faults, your inconsistencies, your failures, and your weaknesses. You are daily sustained by His mercy. You must extend the same mercy to your spouse.

Many marriages are collapsing today not because love is gone, but because mercy is missing. Love may still be present, but without mercy, love suffocates. It is possible to love deeply and yet lack mercy. Mercy is the true reflection of God’s nature, and if you desire to succeed in marriage, you must become like Him. Be merciful. Cultivate a tender heart toward your spouse’s weakness.

The apostle Peter admonished husbands in 1 Peter 3:7: “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together o