Ex 34:6, Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth
	We are in the midst of looking at the fact that The Lord God Almighty is compassionate, gracious; slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth. In all reality, eternity will be insufficient in which to explore the fullness of these characteristics of the Lord. We are barely able to scratch the surface of the divine attributes of His so awesome Being. However, it is always a joy and an uplifting opportunity to study some of the details of Who God is together as a fellowship. To do so is to give corporate honor and praise for Who He is and what He has done. It is a coming together unto the Lord in order to declare His glory and His altogether splendor and majesty as His Chosen People in Jesus Christ. 
	This morning, we begin with one who often dwelt on these wondrous characteristics of the Lord God in detail, the Psalmist. In Ps 31:19, the Lord is extolled for the fact that He is the refuge of those who seek Him, which is a detail of His compassion and grace and abounding lovingkindness. Ps 31:19, How great is Thy goodness, Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, Before the sons of men! 
	Inherent in this passage is the truth that we can count on the goodness of the Lord to sustain us in our times of deepest need and despair. When men are seeking to destroy us, we can find the Lord God to be our place of eternal safety and security. 
This would later be expounded in depth by the Psalmist in Ps 56:9-11, when he directly addressed the fact that when we know that God is for us, we have no fear of what man may do to us. Ps 56:9-11, Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, In the Lord, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 
	We know that man can attack us physically, and emotionally, and psychologically, but those are all the details and aspects of this current realm where we expect nothing less than abuse and trial and torment for the sake of the testimony of Jesus Christ. This age has very limited power in the full course of who we are now in Jesus. While our property may be forfeit, our families may be removed from us, our health and even our physical bodies shattered, the fact of who we are now in Jesus cannot be destroyed! 
In Matt 10:28, we have His very word on it for our encouragement and our comfort. Matt 10:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 
	As we know and honor and love God through our belief on His Only Begotten Son, so will we never have anything to truly fear in this realm. We are eternally secure in the grace and the love of God manifested in His so great salvation and gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ. 
The very worst that humanity or the power of this age can do to us is to kill our physical bodies, which becomes our immediate release into the presence of the Lord Jesus. This is detailed for us by the Apostle Paul in 2 Cor 5:6-9. 2 Cor 5:6-9, Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord — for we walk by faith, not by sight — we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 
We are always to be living our lives as pleasing to the Lord and not in fear and trembling of what this age threatens with its taunts and trials and tribulations. Everything we do and everywhere we go, in all our interactions and our testimony of the life of Jesus Christ, we do so as to be absolutely honoring and pleasing to the Lord God Almighty. It is not to be fraught with fear and trembling at the unknown, but rather settled in the knowledge that the One Who holds eternity, holds us in the palm of His hand.
Again, hear the Apostle Paul’s reassuring encouragement in Acts 20:18, to us who know that Jesus Christ is glorified and reigns on high forevermore. Acts 20:18, "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. 
It is the very grace of God, as manifested to Moses in this morning’s passage which allows us to set aside the need to cling to these mortal bodies and simply serve Our Lord with all our heart and with all our mind and with all our being. When He gives us a task to do, we do it, no matter what the cost or the road to be traveled! In the Apostle Paul’s case, that road was to Jerusalem and then eventually to Rome where he was put to death for the sake of the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Listen to the reality of what the knowledge that he belonged to Jesus caused the Apostle to write to us in Rom 8:31-39. He did so with all assurance in the revealed character and reliability of the faithful compassion and power and love of God. Please open in your Bibles to Rom 8:31-39, so we can read this together in order to offer God all praise and adoration for Who He is and how fully He has made Himself to be our refuge in the midst of every trial and storm and conflict.
	Rom 8:31-39, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
	There is no created thing that can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus. This is God’s abounding grace and abiding compassion in action in our hearts and minds and lives. It is the full display of God’s lovingkindness in the truth of what He has established for all of eternity in the Lordship of His Beloved Son. We are secure and we are safe and we are united with Him in a living relationship that can not be broken through any manner of peril or intent or worldly efforts. This is the living truth of God in action and in grace and in mercy and in His awesome power. 
	The Apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 3:12-16, gives us further insight into the glorious truth of God. We may suffer in this physical realm, but the reality and the person of Jesus Christ is our refuge and our security and our surety of hope,
	1 Peter 3:12-16, "For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 
	This brings us back into the Psalms as we delight to consider the vastness of the lovingkindness and the graciousness and the tender mercies of the Only Living Lord God Almighty, such as recounted in Ps 86:3-5. Ps 86:3-5, Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to Thee I cry all day long. Make glad the soul of Thy servant, For to Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee. 
	Listen to the chorus of the mercy and the grace that is ours in the full majesty of the Lord God Almighty, again declared so vibrantly by the Psalmist in Ps 86:11-15. Ps 86:11-15, Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth; Unite my heart to fear Thy name. I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Thy name forever. For Thy lovingkindness toward me is great, And Thou hast delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, arrogant men have risen up against me, And a band of violent men have sought my life, And they have not set Thee before them. But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. 
	These are passages in which we would do well to learn to delight our minds and hearts and thoughts during those times of darkness and despair which can so easily beset us. As we know them and value them and take joy in them, they will give us the vibrant picture of to Whom our lives are now focused and committed. In calling to mind the reality of the nature and essence of God, such as detailed in Ps 103:2-13, we will receive peace of mind and steadfastness of spirit in the most violent of tribulations. 
Please open to Ps 103:2-13 as we want to rejoice in it together. Ps 103:2-13, Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord performs righteous deeds, And judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us; Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. 
	As well, let us take utmost joy in the truth of God manifested for all in Ps 111:2-9. Reading it together, Ps 111:2-9. Great are the works of the Lord; They are studied by all who delight in them. Splendid and majestic is His work; And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonders to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and compassionate. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever. He has made known to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure. They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. 
	This is the substantiation of the life that He has given us for all of eternity in Jesus, and we need to proclaim it with all our might in the celebration of the magnificence and splendor that is the Lord God, Creator of the heavens and the earth. It is our joy and our responsibility, as His children, to make known to all those in our lives the fact that God is robed in compassion and grace and mercy and lovingkindness and truth. 
	Our final passage of this morning in line with the chorus of God’s revealed dignity and character and upholding nature is Ps 145:5-13, if you would please turn to it. Ps 145:5-13, On the glorious splendor of Thy majesty, And on Thy wonderful works, I will meditate. And men shall speak of the power of Thine awesome acts; And I will tell of Thy greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Thine abundant goodness, And shall shout joyfully of Thy righteousness. The Lord is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The Lord is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works. All Thy works shall give thanks to Thee, O Lord, And Thy godly ones shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, And talk of Thy power; To make known to the sons of men Thy mighty acts, And the glory of the majesty of Thy kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Thy dominion endures throughout all generations. 
	Lord willing, this will be more and more evidenced in the course of our worship as we gather together in the name of Jesus Christ. We will be joining in the chorus of all the saints and celebrating the joyful truth that Our God reigns in righteousness and in truth and in mercy and in grace and in compassion and in lovingkindness, now and evermore. So be it!
Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; Amen. 

This morning’s benediction is Zeph 3:14+15. Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You will fear disaster no more. Amen.