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WHO’S THE MERCY BOSS?
In yesterday’s reading, we learned that showing mercy pleases God. But it is not only about keeping a commandment, it is about following his example. God is delighted when we show mercy to others because that is Heaven’s way. He wants his heart to be revealed through our acts of mercy. David’s mercy towards Saul played a part in making him “a man after his own heart” (Acts 13:22).
God’s heart is not corrupted like our human hearts. His mercy towards us is not a struggle against sinful agendas. In 2 Samuel 24, when David faced punishment from God for taking a census, He knew that he would still be better off at the mercy of God than men. “‘I’m in a desperate situation!’ David replied to Gad. ‘But let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands’” (v. 14, NLT). God wants our hearts to become like his.
God’s desire for the world is that every single person will be saved (John 3:16-17). And He wants us to think in the same way. “Then he [Jesus] added, ‘Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners’” (Matthew 9:13, NLT). God’s command to show mercy intends to bring us closer to Him.
When God tells us to show mercy to others, He is actually inviting us to live in awareness of his mercy. God calls us to start each day by remembering his great love for us. “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:22-24, NLT).
What role does God’s mercy play in your everyday life? How do you see other people when you think of his mercy towards you?
Let us grow closer to God by living in awareness of his mercy. Let us become more like Him by showing mercy to others. “Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ - the Son of the Father - will continue to be with us who live in truth and love” (2 John 1:3, NLT).
About this Plan
Are you someone who feels strongly about crimes against innocent people? How do you feel when a perpetrator gets away with it? Is there a place for mercy in the context of justice? I hope that this Plan will give you a new understanding of showing godly mercy in the fallen world around us.
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