There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 588)
1 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in his justice Which is more than liberty
There is no place where earth’s sorrows Are more felt than up in heav’n.
There is no place where earth’s failings Have kindly judgment giv’n.
2 There is a welcome for the sinner, And a promised grace made good;
There is a mercy with the Savior; There is healing in his blood.
There is grace enough for thousands Of new worlds as great as this;
There is room for fresh creations In that upper home of bliss.
3 For the love of God is broader Than the measures of our mind;
And the heart of the eternal Is most wonderfully kind.
There is plentiful redemption In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members In the sorrows of the head.
4 ‘Tis not all we owe to Jesus; It is something more than all:
Greater good because of evil, Larger mercy through the fall.
If our love were but more simple, We should take him at his word;
And our lives would be all sunshine In the sweetness of the Lord.
Text: Frederick W. Faber; Music: North American; Public Domain
Devotion
Frederick William Faber’s hymn invites us to imagine God’s mercy as wide as the sea. That mercy is not something we earn, bargain for, or make ourselves worthy to receive. It is God’s gracious gift, revealed most fully in Jesus Christ, who comes to sinners with forgiveness, life, and salvation.
We often make God’s mercy smaller than it is. We may assume that grace is available for others but not for us, or that God’s welcome comes with limits we have already exceeded. God’s compassion is not shaped by our worthiness, but by God’s promise. Mercy begins in the heart of God, and that promise is sure.
Perhaps the invitation of this hymn is simple: trust the promise that Christ God’s mercy is wider than your shame, deeper than your sorrow, and stronger than your doubts. Freed by grace, we are also set free to show mercy to our neighbors, not to earn God’s love, but because God has first loved us.
Prayer
Merciful God, your love is broader than our understanding and kinder than we dare to believe. Open our hearts to receive your grace, and teach us to extend that mercy to others. Amen.