Blessed Are the Merciful

Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy! -Matthew 5:7 AMPC

I have discovered that one of the best things we can do in life is to help and care for other people—not just those deserving of help, but perhaps especially those who are not.

Selfishness leads to unhappiness. But one of the greatest things we can do when we’re experiencing difficulties is to get our minds off our own problems and reach out to help someone else.

I spent many years being totally selfish, and I was unhappy all the time. As God made me aware of how selfish I was and began teaching me the power of caring for others, my life changed drastically for the better. I personally discovered how happy caring for others made me, and I believe you’ll find it makes you happy, too.

Galatians 6:7 (NKJV) teaches us a powerful principle. It says, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

The fact that people reap what they sow is a law of nature and a law of God. We can easily understand this principle by thinking of gardening or farming. If a farmer sows tomato seeds, he won’t get pumpkins. If he sows seeds that are rotten, he won’t reap healthy fruit. This is a natural law that God has set into motion since the beginning of time. As long as the earth remains, there will be seedtime and harvest (see Genesis 8:22).

So, what do you need today? Are you in need of help and comfort? Then take some time to help and comfort someone else who may be struggling. Are you praying for a breakthrough in your circumstances? Then reach out and become the answer to someone else’s prayer.

One of the greatest things we can give to others is mercy. We all need a lot of mercy because we all make a lot of mistakes. The best way to be given mercy is to generously give it away. First, we receive mercy from God, and then He expects us to let it flow through us to others. Mercy cannot be deserved or earned. It is a gift to the undeserving. Lamentations 3:22–23 tells us that God’s mercies “are new every morning” (NKJV).I am so thankful for this, and I’m sure you are too.

I have read that mercy is kindness in excess of what may be expected or demanded by fairness. Mercy doesn’t just do what is fair. Mercy is extravagant; it goes beyond reason.

Mercy is closely related to compassion, and I am always struck by the fact that Jesus was “moved with compassion” (see Matthew 9:36, 14:14; Mark 1:41 NKJV). He didn’t merely feel sorry for hurting people; He always did something to help them. It is wonderful to know that God will help us when we don’t deserve it and that He enables us to help others who don’t deserve it.

I really love Proverbs 11:17 (NKJV). It says that a person who is merciful “does good for his own soul.” Don’t miss out on the blessing of giving and showing mercy. If you’re hurting and going through a difficulty, there is no better time than to reach out and help someone else. As you do, God promises you will be blessed—(happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward condition)… (see Matthew 5:7 AMPC).

Adapted from the book Blessed in the Mess by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2023 by Joyce Meyer. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prayer: “Father, thank You for the ability to sow into other people’s lives. I ask You to open my eyes to the needs around me and show me how I can be a blessing. As I sow mercy and kindness, I release my faith, knowing that You will bring it all back to me in so many wonderful ways. Change my heart and help me to be others-focused instead of me-focused. In Jesus’ name, amen.”