Posted on 04/15/2023 5:36:32 AM PDT by metmom
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" (Matt. 5:7).
There are many ways to show mercy.
God delights in mercy, and as a believer you have the privilege of showing mercy in many ways. In the physical realm you can give money to the poor, food to the hungry, or a bed to the homeless. God has always wanted His people to be that way. Deuteronomy 15 says, "If there is a poor man with you . . . you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from [him]; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks" (vv. 7-8). Verses 12-14 instruct Israelites who release a slave to provide for the slave's needs. That was the merciful thing to do.
In the spiritual realm you can show mercy by pitying the lost. St. Augustine said, "If I weep for that body from which the soul is departed, how should I weep for that soul from which God is departed?" (cited by Thomas Watson in The Beatitudes, p. 144). We mourn over the dead but do we mourn as much for lost souls? When Stephen was being stoned, he pitied his wretched murderers, asking God to forgive them (Acts 7:60). Jesus did the same (Luke 23:34). That should be our attitude as well.
Another way of showing mercy is to rebuke sin. Second Timothy 2:24-25 says, "The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all . . . with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth." It is merciful and loving to rebuke sinners because it gives them a chance to repent and be forgiven.
Prayer is also an act of mercy, as is preaching the gospel. In fact, sharing Christ with someone is the most merciful thing you can do!
There are many more ways to be merciful, but I hope these will stimulate your thinking and encourage you to discover as many ways as possible to pass on the abundant mercy God has shown to you.
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank God for the mercies you have received from others.
Take advantage of every opportunity to minister to others.
For Further Study
Determine who receives mercy according to the following verses: Matthew 6:14; Titus 3:5-6; Hebrews 4:14-16; James 2:13; and 1 Peter 2:9-10.
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
Mercy rather than Sacrifice
Why the emphasis on the outward display of mercy? Why not the inner life which will show itself as the outward sign?
I don’t know, because if the inner life is where the change needs to happen, it would make more sense to fix that then the rest will just take care of itself.
I’ve long suspected that too much emphasis on the outward works my lead people into a legalism, where they may think they are saved because they do the do’s and don’t do the don’t’s and miss the whole point of the new birth and simply bearing fruit as a natural result of that.
This is an informative post. I didn’t realize there are so many ways to show mercy.
Side note... I love the Spanish names Merced and Mercedes, Mercy and Mercies. Though I’ve never seen the names in English they would be right up there with the likes of Faith and Hope.
Friday is the perfect day to reflect on Mercy. Thank you metmom!!
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