Mercy

Today we spoke about mercy in Sunday school and it really struck me as something I wanted to learn more about and understand and apply. I have been obsessed with Psalms 103 so that will be my basis for most of this devotion. So, what is mercy and how can we show mercy in our lives today?

What is MERCY?

1. Compassionate

Micah 7:18-20 (NLT)
"Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among his people? You cannot stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing mercy. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised with an oath to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago."

Despite all that we do and every sin we commit, God has chosen to show compassion on his people so they do not have to suffer the judgments they deserve. God shows compassion and pardons our evil ways. He is that amazing.

2. Gracious

Exodus 34:6 (NLT)
"He passed in front of Moses and said, "I am the Lord, I am the Lord, the merciful and gracious God. I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness."

We can constantly turn our backs on God and choose to be part of the world, yet he is slow to get angry with us and is always standing there waiting for us to come back to him and his never-ending love. He is a gracious God who knows that we aren't perfect and although it hurts him for us to stray, He knows we will. Yet he tries to teach us and guide us in his will constantly, even if it is a lesson that has to be given repeatedly.

3. Holy

1 Peter 1:15-16 (NLT)
"But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God - who chose you to be his children - is holy. For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy.""

By being holy - humbling ourselves, loyally and obediently to God's call on our lives - we allow ourselves to be in the position to show God's mercy to others. We have to ensure holiness in our lives because when we draw near to him, he will draw near to us. Holiness allows us to care and show mercy and compassion.


How can we SHOW MERCY in our lives?

Psalm 103:8-18 (NLT)

"The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!"

By shaping and modeling our lives after Christ, like David has laid out for us in this Psalm. Christ has offered his mercy through his patience in forgiving us of our sins and cleansing our hearts again and again. We don't by any means deserve God's mercy yet he bestows it upon us daily. In that same way we must show his mercy whether we have judged that another person deserves it or not. God is the only sovereign power who decides who deserves mercy and who doesn't. By sending his son to die for us he has demonstrated that his mercy is to be spread to all.

We should constantly be striving to grow in our walk with God by demonstrating the mercy we so graciously receive from our Father in heaven.