Posted on 04/14/2023 5:04:02 AM PDT by metmom
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" (Matt. 5:7).
Mercy is compassion in action.
Mercy is not a human attribute. It is God's gift to those who seek Him. Psalm 103:11 says, "As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him" (KJV).
The verb form of "merciful" appears many times in Scripture and means "to have mercy on," "aid the afflicted," "give help to the wretched," or "rescue the miserable." In general it refers to anything you do to benefit someone in need. The noun form is used only twice: here in Matthew 5:7 and in Hebrews 2:17, which reads, "[Christ] had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest." Christ Himself is both the source and illustration of mercy.
Christ modeled mercy throughout His earthly ministry. He healed the sick and enabled the crippled to walk. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and speech to the mute. His redeeming love embraced sinners of all kinds. He wept with those in sorrow and comforted the lonely. He embraced little children and the elderly alike. His mercy was compassion in action!
Despite His abundant mercy, Jesus received no mercy from His enemies. They hated Him without cause, accused Him falsely, beat Him, nailed Him to a cross, spat upon Him, and cursed Him. Even then He sought mercy for them, praying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).
Some have paraphrased Matthew 5:7 to say that if you show mercy to others, they will show mercy to you. Now that might happen in some isolated incidences, but in this jaded world that's not often the case—as Jesus' life clearly demonstrates. Many Christians have incurred slander, rebuke, lawsuits, and even death for their noble efforts. Jesus didn't guarantee merciful treatment from others. His emphasis was that God shows mercy toward those who show mercy to others.
Don't ever be reluctant to show mercy to others—even when they misunderstand or mistreat you. God will use your kindness for His glory and reward you accordingly.
Suggestions for Prayer
Praise Jesus for being willing to suffer death that you might receive mercy.
Is there someone you might show mercy to today in some tangible way?
For Further Study
Read John 5:1-18.
How did Christ demonstrate mercy to the sick man?
How did the Jewish religious leaders react?
From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
Studying God’s Word ping
Thank you for your mercy over us Dear Lord Jesus, which is due to your great Love for us and not deserved. Help us show mercy to others in the very same manner. We don’t have the power to do it in our own flesh, it can be so difficult. we can only do this with your Holy Spirit, for whom we are so grateful. Thank you King Jesus.
Prayer Of Thanks For God’s Mercy
Dear Father God, I praise and thank You for Your loving-kindness and great mercy which is new every morning and remains steadfast and sure throughout the day, to strengthen and hold. Thank You for the glory of the cross, knowing that I was a estranged from Your heart of love and an outcast from the kingdom of heaven. Words cannot describe the wonderment that You sent Your only begotten Son to come to earth as a Man, to live a life of rejection and sorrow, and to suffer and die for me on the cross of Calvary, so that I might be forgiven of all my sins and live with You eternally in heaven.
Thank You, Father, that although I was unworthy to approach You glorious throne, and enslaved in the kingdom of darkness, yet in Your mercy and grace You stooped down to me and lifted me out of the Satan’s bondage and from the cesspit of sin, and seated me together with Christ in heavenly places and showered me with Your undeserved grace and favour. Thank You, that I am now one of Your redeemed children. In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.
Source: https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/prayer/prayer-of-thanks-for-god-s-mercy-1238
“Mercy is not a human attribute.”
It is. Humans can and do show/give mercy without being born again. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
The Fall did not sever that, and “Total Depravity” does not mean everyone is totally depraved. It means no one escapes sin, not that we all are as sinful as possible.
It is true that as men become more depraved, as they become “reprobate”, mercy disappears in them. Those who deny “in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” are without mercy. As the US fills with more reprobate people, turned loose from God’s restraining hand, we will see no mercy from the God-haters.
One of the lies about God is that His mercy makes Him impotent - that He will never confront or judge sin because “He’s too nice!” In like manner, our need to love and be merciful doesn’t mean we cannot stand up against sin and oppose those who call depravity good. Turning a blind eye to the trans movement or homosexuality or the sort of lifestyle many now live is neither loving nor merciful. Enabling sin is NOT a characteristic of God and should not be one of ours.
All random thoughts about mercy and how it should be incorporated into our lives.
Good thoughts.
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