The power of Mercy

 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) God commends merciful people but condemns the merciless. Any unkindness shown to me is mild compared to the biblical examples in today’s devotional.

For example, Lot took the best land for himself and left Abraham with the worst, but later when Lot was in trouble, Abraham helped rescue him. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, yet when he was in a position to have them punished, his brothers fell before him and said,

“Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:18–21)

David also showed mercy to Saul as that king repeatedly tried to kill him. Instead of retaliating when the opportunities came to put him to death, David spared his life and spoke kindly to him also.

God commended those who showed mercy, but He also condemned those who withheld it. David knew how that worked. He expressed the wrath of God this way . . .

May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. (Psalm 109:14–16)

Jesus also spoke of a judgment to come where mercy would separate His people from those who were without mercy. He illustrated with ‘sheep and goats’ . . .

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41–46)

Our present world is filled with the idea that I should get all we can for myself, seek harsh justice for those who do not repay debts, or return what they have borrowed, or who treat me in negative ways by doing unkind and merciless things toward me. ‘Get even’ is heard far more than ‘Do good to those who hate you.’

Mercy is not about excusing sin, but mercy makes a difference in my attitude toward sinners. Aside from the fact that I am also a sinner, the effect of simply being compassionate toward a mean and miserable person can be astonishing. It can change their life.

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:18–21)

Lord Jesus, apart from Your mercy toward me, I fear where I would be and the kind of person I would be. Your compassion changed my goals, attitudes, trajectory. Now, instead of anticipating wrath for my sin, I am looking forward to spending eternity with You. While I don’t have Your ability to change the lives of others, mercy can go a long way toward softening hard hearts. Compassion can be costly but is never wasted.

THINK ABOUT: Read Matthew 9:13 and 12:7. Has mercy changed me? How can showing mercy change the lives of others?

 

God’s abundant provision…

A new course starts Monday so to get a head start, I began some of the required reading. One asked that I read the story of Joseph in one sitting, Genesis 37 to 50. Two times as I read, I wept uncontrollably, amazed all over again at the mercy and power of God as He used the injustices that happened to Joseph for good. After being sold into slavery by his brothers, and eventually saving their lives, he said,

Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones… (Genesis 50:18–21)

Today’s devotional is about the grace of God that satisfies His people far beyond our expectations and certainly beyond what we deserve. As the Israelites wandered through the wilderness (and as I wander through life), He supplies all that we need. I am in awe.

He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers. (Psalm 78:15–16)

At the beginning of the year, knowing I would be reading and studying theology, I abandoned my usual practice of reading the Bible through during the year. That was not a good idea. It is the source of God’s abundance, His answers and help for all issues and problems. Those who consider it an ancient and irrelevant book have no idea how intensely practical the Bible addresses the stress of modern life.

I belong to a Christian book club and we are reading excellent and edifying books, but nothing can touch and heal my heart like the Word of God. There is no problem, no challenge, no frustration, no sorrow that the Bible misses. It meets every need and never with just a small sip. Instead of shallow waters, God’s Word provides a big gulp, a drink as if from the ocean depths, water that flows like rivers, even water from the Rock, which is Christ.

Its pages are not filled with nice sounding platitudes, or pithy sayings about how to live. Instead, it greatly affirms God’s everlasting love and addresses the greatest needs in human life. There are no shallow or unhelpful guilt trips about my sin either, or do-it-yourself recommendations to fix it. Instead, God offers the amazing story of a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. After all my ideas and plans dry up and my sin remains, God gives me a drink from the Rock, a drink as abundant as the seas.

And He surprises me. I might go looking for answers, but His answer is never what I assume. I didn’t even know that I needed a strong reminder of His power to use tragedy for good until I read the story of Joseph and was so deeply touched and strengthened in my faith.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. (Psalm 119:130)

God’s words are often simple, tender, full of love, but they are also deep and strong, searching my heart and exposing all that needs light and healing. There are people whose words sound good, but their lives do not match. There are people who have little to say and offer even less in their character. But Jesus was never like that. No matter how people  responded to His words, behind those words is the God-man, deeper and unfathomably more than any mind can grasp. He is the Living Word of God and His words will live even when heaven and earth have passed away.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

I can drink all of a cup or read all of a book, but I cannot drain dry a spring fed from the depths. Because the Word of God flows from the depths of this God who became a man, those words are powerful and eternal. They save and strengthen my heart and draw me back again and again for more of their life-lifting, soul-quenching power.

I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your Word. (Psalm 138:2)