God's highest priority and deepest delight and first reaction—his heart—is merciful and gracious.

"The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.'" —Exodus 34:6–7 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

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Day 12 - Merciful and Gracious

The Gentle and Lowly podcast is a 14-day audio devotional exploring the heart of Christ for sinners and sufferers. Join Dane Ortlund each day for a brief Scripture reading as well as a devotional meditation on a different aspect of the heart of Christ, as he helps you discover afresh not just what Jesus has done for you but how he feels about you as his beloved.

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What does Jesus do with those who squander his mercy? He pours out more mercy! God is rich in mercy.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. —Ephesians 2:1–6 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

Hardcover

Audiobook

Ebook


Subscribe to Crossway's newest podcast 'Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Jen Wilkin' here!

Day 14 - Rich in Mercy

We cannot view God's expressions of mercy with our old eyes. Our very view of God must change.

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." —Isaiah 55:6–9 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

Hardcover

Audiobook

Ebook


Subscribe to Crossway's newest podcast 'Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Jen Wilkin' here!

Day 13 - His Ways Are Not Our Ways

The promise of the gospel—and the message of the whole Bible—is that in Jesus Christ, we are given a friend who will always enjoy rather than refuse our presence.

"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds." —Matthew 11:19 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

Hardcover

Audiobook

Ebook


Subscribe to Crossway's newest podcast 'Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Jen Wilkin' here!

Day 11 - Friend of Sinners

When we come to Christ, we are startled by the beauty of his welcoming heart.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." —Matthew 10:37–39 (ESV)

Dane Ortlund is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.

Hardcover

Audiobook

Ebook


Subscribe to Crossway's newest podcast 'Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Jen Wilkin' here!

Day 12 - Merciful and Gracious

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