Gems of Knowledge

Today’s One Year Bible Verses:

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God’s Heart of Mercy Revealed

“And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,” says the Lord God. – Ezekiel 20:35–36 (NKJV)

These are two of my favorite verses in the entire Bible, because they reveal the heart of God like few others—full of mercy, overflowing with love, and fiercely personal. God doesn’t plead from a distance.
He draws us into the wilderness—away from the noise, the excuses, the religious routine—and meets us face to face.

Not to crush us.
Not to condemn us.
But to plead His case.

In Hebrew, the phrase literally means:

“I will present My case to you face to face.”

This is courtroom language—with a twist.
God could take His case straight to the Judge’s bench and let the hammer fall.
He has the evidence: sin, pride, rebellion, compromise.

But instead, He brings the case to you—to your heart.
Not to shame you… but to save you.
Not to accuse… but to turn you.

This is the kind of God we serve:
A Righteous Judge who steps off the bench and pleads with the guilty to accept mercy.

But His pleading won’t last forever.

That’s where Hebrews 9:27–28 (NLT) comes in:

“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him.”

Jesus already dealt with sin.
He already took the penalty.
But when He comes again—it won’t be to plead.

It will be to redeem those who responded to Him while there was still time.
Those who listened.
Those who repented.
Those who eagerly waited.

The invitation is open—but not endless.

God is pleading now.
Will you answer Him before the judgment begins? 💎

Action (5 Minutes with God)

Take 5 minute with God today and let Him speak.Write down anything the Lord brings to your mind on this. Then ask Him:

• “What do you want me to know about that?”
  • Journal what He whispers through the Holy Spirit
• Then ask, “What do you want me to do?”
  • Journal what He whispers then do it!

Listen to His pleas and live in anticipation of His return.

Prayer

Lord, I hear You pleading with me. I feel the weight of Your mercy, the love in Your warning, and the urgency in Your voice. Forgive me for every time I ignored You. Forgive me for treating grace like it was cheap. I repent for my compromise, my apathy, my excuses. I receive Your invitation to live differently. Help me live as one eagerly waiting for You—with my heart clean, my hands ready, and my eyes lifted. In Jesus’ name, amen.

To read more 5 Minutes with God devotionals click here.