Exodus 34:6–7:“And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

When God revealed Himself to Moses, one of the first attributes He unveiled was His mercy. After revealing His grace, His long-suffering, His abounding love, and His overflowing goodness, the Lord declared again, “I am the God keeping mercy for thousands.” This is no casual statement. It is a divine revelation of sustained mercy, mercy that transcends time, mercy that endures across generations, mercy that remains unshaken even when man falters, mercy that never grows weary or grows cold. This is the mercy that defines the heart of God.

It is one thing to show mercy once, but it is another thing to sustain mercy. Many couples are merciful for a moment, but mercy is not their nature. They show compassion until they are offended. They forgive until they grow weary. They love until they are wounded. But God is not like that. His mercy is never temporary. His mercy is not fleeting. It is constant, enduring, and faithful. It is not shaped by circumstances; it flows continually, limitless, and steadfast through every season.

You see, in our marriages and relationships, we often hear people say, “I have forgiven five times already. I am done.” But when God describes Himself, He does not say, “I forgive for a season.” He says, “I keep mercy for thousands.” That means His mercy is stored, sustained, and stretched across generations. The mercy that saved your father is still strong enough to save you, and the same mercy can reach your children.

God’s mercy is consistent and generational. It is not swayed by mood; it is anchored in covenant. Remember, marriage is a covenant, and only the sustained mercy of God can uphold it. Your spouse will offend you again and again. You will have to forgive for the same hurt twenty times over. This is the nature of God’s mercy. It does not run out because of your weakness; it endures because of His unchanging character. He does not merely show mercy; He keeps mercy. The word keep means to guard, to preserve, to maintain carefully and continually. It is mercy that refuses to expire.

The world teaches, “He does not deserve another chance. She has shown the highest level of disrespect; do not even consider reconciliation.” Hmmm, the sustained mercy of God teaches differently.

Psalm 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations.” The mercy of God is everlasting. It cannot die. It cannot fade. Lamentations 3:22 reminds us, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.” As long as we return with open hearts, acknowledging our wrongs and turning from our ways, His sustained mercy reaches us even in our lowest state.

When the sustained mercy of God is active in our marriages, offenses, bitterness, anger, rage, and unforgiveness will find no root. There is no place for resentment to grow, no room for pride to harden the heart, no opportunity for past hurts to control the present. Mercy that is preserved by God’s nature transforms relationships. It softens hearts, restores communion, and produces a marriage where grace flows continuously, love remains vibrant, and peace reigns without end.

Sustained mercy means God’s compassion flows from who He is. He keeps mercy for thousands because He keeps covenant with His own heart. No wonder David said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

Mercy follows. Mercy fights. Mercy preserves. Mercy covers. Mercy sustains.

When this revelation enters your&