-February 10, 2024-
Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
(Matthew 5:7).
Our God is a merciful God. Mercy means He doesn’t give us what we deserve. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but now are the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
Because God has shown mercy to us we can and should show mercy to others. When we show mercy to those who don’t deserve it, we are following Christ’s commands and living like Christ. In a most beautiful expression of Jesus’ mercy, He forgave the woman caught in adultery, in the very act. Religious, self-righteous men sought to stone her. Our Savior did not condone her sin but forgave it.
There are times when someone hurts us. They are totally in the wrong, and we try to justify ourselves in retaliating against them and getting back at them worse than they harmed us. The Bible says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
God wants us to be merciful, and show mercy to all those around us. When we as believers show mercy, God will cause others to be merciful to us. Mercy and forgiveness go hand in hand. God’s mercy runs deep and provides relief, comfort, and blessing.
We learn from Proverbs 11:17, “The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.” When we are unkind, unmerciful, and unforgiving, we damage our own souls.
Our mercy can never fully measure up to God’s mercy, but His mercy is the standard we should strive for. We rely on God’s mercy daily and through His mercy we can be merciful.
Have a blessed day basking in God’s mercy and in showing His mercy to others. Stay safe and healthy.
Mercy melts the heart and soothes the soul,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 