MERCY! 

By Derek Dunn 

But he [Lot] lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. Genesis 19:16 (ESV)

There’s a game I used to play as a kid. A friend and I would face one another, holding hands with our fingers interlocked. Then, we would squeeze and twist each other’s hands and fingers until one of us who couldn’t take the pain any longer would scream, “MERCY!” I honestly don’t know why this was fun, but it gave me an early understanding of the word “mercy.” 

In the Bible’s first mention of the word “mercy” or “merciful,” we’re in the middle of a rescue mission. Lot and his family are about to be epically destroyed alongside the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and God sends angels to get them out of the city. Why did God save them? Because He is merciful. 

All throughout the rest of the Bible, we find stories of God reaching down to relieve a weary world—stories of mercy. Why? Because the Bible is the story of God, and God is merciful. Take a moment to let that sink in. The Creator of the universe, the One who upholds the patterns of nature; the One whose voice spoke everything into existence, is merciful. It’s who He is. In fact, when God reveals His name to Moses, He calls Himself the God of grace and mercy. And He compassionately meets people in the middle of their pain, slavery, suffering, brokenness, sin, and imminent destruction to bring salvation and relief. 

There’s one story in particular that always gets me in the New Testament about a blind man named Bartimaeus. His condition forced him to the margins of society as a beggar in the streets of Jericho. One day, Jesus came to town. Although Bartimaeus couldn’t see Him, he was filled with faith that Jesus could step into his distress and deliver the relief he so desperately needed. As Jesus was leaving town, blind Bartimaeus cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped, met Bartimaeus in the midst of his situation, restored Bartimaeus’s sight, and revealed the character of the God of the universe. 

When we cry out, “MERCY!” God hears us and provides saving relief. In what areas of your life are you desperate for God to pour out His mercy? If you just cry out to Him, He will meet you with compassion and open arms. 

Prayer

Father, thank You for being a God of mercy. I cry out to You for mercy in the midst of my need. Thank You for Your compassionate response and Your attention to my situation. I put my faith in You to open my eyes and bring healing and salvation to my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Memory Verse

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NIV)