In Psalm 78, Asaph sings about the rebellion of Israel in the wilderness. The psalm begins by reminding people to tell the story for future generations. After that he tells the sad story of a rebellious people who chose most of the time to rebel against God. They lied, coveted, rebelled, and did many more things against God. And yet…

He, being full of compassion,
forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them,
Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,
And did not stir up all His wrath,
For he remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.

This section (38-39) comes at the mid-point of the psalm and describes perfectly the character of Yahweh. He is the merciful, compassionate God who loves us despite our sinfulness. That is an amazing truth to ponder today. Israel didn’t deserve it and neither do we. But we can thank God for being the way he is. Amen.