Read: Deuteronomy 5: 7-10
“He has shown you, O man, what is
good; and what does the LORD require of you: but to do justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God?” - Micah 6:8
None of us are, nor will we ever be, worthy of God’s love; and that really is Good News! We can do nothing to earn His love; and, therefore, we can do nothing to lose it (Ephesians 2:9). It is a free gift (Romans 6:23). Tender mercy is the aspect of God's love that causes Him to help us when, as miserable souls, we break His laws or are drowning in our circumstances. God’s great mercy saves us and allows us to approach His throne boldly to find grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). His mercy always triumphs over the retribution we deserve for our behavior, which otherwise would condemn us to hell.
God not only has mercy on us, but
also on our dwelling places in times of natural disasters (Psalm 46:1-3,7). We have every reason to trust in God’s mercy, which
surrounds us and follows us all the days of our life (Psalm 23:6). He makes our paths full of mercy,
so that we can rejoice and sing praises to His name (Psalm
25:10). God’s abundant
mercy is just a call away and comes in spite of the fact that we do not deserve
it and never, EVER will! Isn’t that great news?
Since God created us in His image,
He expects us to serve as vessels of His magnanimous mercy to others. He
desires that the whole earth be full of His mercy (Psalm 119:64). He gives joy to those who show mercy
to the poor (Psalm
13:5). The wise book of
Proverbs advises us to bind mercy and truth around our neck and to write them
on the tablet of our heart, because this gives us favor and high esteem in the
sight of man and God. God chooses the merciful to lead others. He prefers mercy
over the biggest sacrifice we could ever make for His honor. He also gives the
merciful the riches of His glory (Genesis 1:27;
Psalm 33:5; Proverbs 3:3).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, multiply to us Your
mercy, peace, and love. If my foot slips, Your mercy will hold me up (Psalm
94:18). If I stumble,
you will not allow me to fall (Psalm 91:12). You strengthen me by Your Spirit to
fulfill Your purpose for my life in the earth. You count the number of my days (Psalm
30:4) and You send Your
angels to escort me to heaven at the end of them (Luke
16:22).
Thought for the Day:
God takes pleasure in those who hope
in His mercy. – Psalm 147:11 Thank you, Katharine Evans for the use of your photo.
