God Is _______Намуна
God Is Merciful
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 NLT
As we talked about yesterday, God is always pursuing us, even when we least deserve it. And that characteristic is a hallmark of His mercy.
All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard, which creates a barrier between us and our perfect, holy God. But in God’s mercy, He sent Jesus to take the punishment we deserved—death—and create a way for us to have eternal life with Him.
So God’s mercy means we don’t get what we deserve. But it doesn’t stop there. God’s mercy isn’t just about providing us a way out. It’s also about God making His way in. He didn’t just remove our sin, He sent His Son. He made a way by meeting us where we were, as we were.
Jesus came as Immanuel: God with us. He experienced every human emotion, and His earthly life is evidence of God’s desire to draw near to us. And in that nearness, we find God’s mercy.
Throughout the Gospels, we see several examples of people asking Jesus to “have mercy” on them. One powerful example is described in Luke 17 when some people with leprosy approach Jesus.
For context, leprosy at that time made people untouchable outcasts. According to Levitical law, they were considered ceremonially unclean, meaning that anyone who touched them would also become unclean.
But as God incarnate, Jesus is clean. He is pure, holy, and perfect. As the lepers approach Him, they cry out for mercy. Jesus tells them to go to the priest—the protocol per the law. And as they go, they are healed.
Jesus essentially fulfills the law in reverse. Instead of becoming unclean by touching them, He transfers His own holiness to cover their uncleanness.
And that is a perfect symbol of what Jesus did for each of us through His death and resurrection. God didn’t just remove our sin, pain, and brokenness—He met us in it through the person of Jesus. When we accept salvation in Christ, we experience God’s mercy.
But again, it’s even more than that. We experience God’s mercy not only through our salvation but also in moments of pain, grief, and desperation—just as the lepers experienced. So if you’re in a tough season right now, cry out for God’s mercy. He is with you. He is near. And He is able to heal, restore, and redeem.
Pray: God, thank You for being so incredibly merciful to us. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for being a God who wants to be near to us, even though we don’t deserve it. Give me eyes to see Your mercy even in the middle of pain, and help me extend that kind of merciful love to those around me as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Challenge: Look for opportunities to see God’s mercy in your life and to be merciful to others today.
About this Plan
Who is God? We all have different answers, but how do we know what’s true? No matter what your experiences with God, Christians, or church have been like, it’s time to discover God for who He really is—real, present, and ready to meet you right where you are. Take the first step in this 6-day Bible Plan accompanying Pastor Craig Groeschel’s message series, God Is _______.
More