Have you ever wanted something, but someone else got it? Have you ever get upset because a less deserving person experienced mercy? Jesus wants us to rejoice with those who receive God's mercy.
None of us deserve mercy. I know that sounds terrible, but it is true. We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. Mercy by its very nature is impossible to deserve. We need it, but we can't earn it. If we earn it, it isn't mercy.
The good news is that Jesus is full of mercy. We see it all throughout his ministry. It can be seen in the account in which he heals a man's shriveled hand from Mark 3:1-6. The man was likely an object of ridicule and scorn among a people who attributed such circumstances to sin. He was unable to worship in the temple, and he lacked wholeness.
His presences gave the Pharisees an excuse to find fault with Jesus, and they seized upon it. They considered Jesus a law breaker. He could heal the rest of the week, but they thought it was wrong to heal on the Sabbath.
Jesus didn't worry about the crowd's response. He focused on the right thing to do. He ended his suffering by healing him. The Sabbath was a day of rest, and now this man could rest from his torment.
Our response to Jesus' mercy reflects our true feeling toward him. If we, like the Pharisees, get upset when Jesus helps someone we don't like, it shows how little trust him. It demonstrates a deep misunderstanding of who Jesus is.
When we despise mercy, we displease Jesus. It would be better to say we anger and distress him. If we have truly experienced mercy, it will make us merciful.
Mercy is like a muscle. It can be developed. We learn it best when we practice it most on "the least deserving." Who is it that you think doesn't deserve mercy? Why not show them mercy today. It might be hard today, but eventually you will learn to love mercy more and more.
Showing posts with label God's Mercy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's Mercy. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
A Brief Meditation of God's Grace
Here is something worthy of meditation:
But when the goodness of God and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us--not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7).
I recently heard someone say, "Mercy is us not getting what we deserve." I don't know where that line originated, but I found it intriguing. Paul states pretty much the same thing here. We were saved, not by our works of righteousness, but "according to His mercy." In spite of all of our sin, God still had compassion on us.
This is all an act of God's grace. Every blessing that accompanies new life is ours in Christ Jesus. He has bound us to himself in love, and he will not let us go. In Christ, the goodness of God is manifest. His love has been demonstrated. Now, it must be embraced.
He has made us, who believe, new creations. We are justified before God. We are washed of our sin by the Holy Spirit. We are heirs with hope of eternal life. Grace has been shown to us in abundance, and that is something to think about.
But when the goodness of God and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us--not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7).
I recently heard someone say, "Mercy is us not getting what we deserve." I don't know where that line originated, but I found it intriguing. Paul states pretty much the same thing here. We were saved, not by our works of righteousness, but "according to His mercy." In spite of all of our sin, God still had compassion on us.
This is all an act of God's grace. Every blessing that accompanies new life is ours in Christ Jesus. He has bound us to himself in love, and he will not let us go. In Christ, the goodness of God is manifest. His love has been demonstrated. Now, it must be embraced.
He has made us, who believe, new creations. We are justified before God. We are washed of our sin by the Holy Spirit. We are heirs with hope of eternal life. Grace has been shown to us in abundance, and that is something to think about.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
He Remembers You
"You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?" (Ps. 56:8).
I am wondering how many times these words have passed before my eyes without the recognition or understanding of the full weight of their message. Even now, they are just beginning to settle in my mind. Slowly, I am beginning to glimpse their beauty and majesty.
This psalm is a record of David's confidence in the Lord during a time of great upheaval. David had fled from Saul to Achish the king of Gath. The Philistines had seized him, because they recognized David a potential threat. So David had to improvise, and play the madman. During this time, David was a man without a country. He had no earthly refuge.
But he was not without hope. David was confident that his captures would show him no mercy, so he rested in the One he knew would. David's motto became: "In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Ps. 56:11, ESV). In the midst of his grief, that had arisen due to this conflict, David remained confident that the Lord would deliver him and strike down his enemies.
His expression in verse 8, "You have kept count of my tossings," may allude to several things. It may mean that God has kept a record of the way he had been mistreated. It may mean that God has counted the times the David has tossed and turned through the sleepless nights of the ordeal. It may mean that God has kept track to the emotional ebb and flow of David's heart throughout his ordeal. The NIV translates this phrase as, "Record my lament." The KJV translates it as, "Thou tellest my wanderings." Even as we sort through the different translations, the point is clear. David is convinced that God has been watching with great interest and has taken note of his situation.
Next he states, "[You have] put my tears in your bottle." David is telling us that God views the tears we shed as worthy of preservation. In every circumstance of the believer's life, God is present. He remembers our pain. He captures our tears in his bottle, so that none of them are wasted or forgotten. A day is coming when God will extract the price for every tear of the righteous from those who caused them. But for us who believe, our tears will be wiped away.
He concludes this verse with the words, "Are they not in your book?" That is to say, God has recorded all of this in his book of remembrance. He cannot, nor would he, forget the sorrow of his children. All the days of our life are recorded in his book. He delights in remembering us. He is bringing about the right and fitting conclusion to all things, even the tears.
I am not sure what kind of hardships you have endured in your lives, but I am confident that not one tear has escaped God's notice. He has seen, and he remembers. Have you made the Lord your refuge? Are you confident he will deliver you? Is your heart breaking? In faith, ask him to show you mercy. Here is a song that will help you to do just that, "He Knows My Name":
I am wondering how many times these words have passed before my eyes without the recognition or understanding of the full weight of their message. Even now, they are just beginning to settle in my mind. Slowly, I am beginning to glimpse their beauty and majesty.
This psalm is a record of David's confidence in the Lord during a time of great upheaval. David had fled from Saul to Achish the king of Gath. The Philistines had seized him, because they recognized David a potential threat. So David had to improvise, and play the madman. During this time, David was a man without a country. He had no earthly refuge.
But he was not without hope. David was confident that his captures would show him no mercy, so he rested in the One he knew would. David's motto became: "In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Ps. 56:11, ESV). In the midst of his grief, that had arisen due to this conflict, David remained confident that the Lord would deliver him and strike down his enemies.
His expression in verse 8, "You have kept count of my tossings," may allude to several things. It may mean that God has kept a record of the way he had been mistreated. It may mean that God has counted the times the David has tossed and turned through the sleepless nights of the ordeal. It may mean that God has kept track to the emotional ebb and flow of David's heart throughout his ordeal. The NIV translates this phrase as, "Record my lament." The KJV translates it as, "Thou tellest my wanderings." Even as we sort through the different translations, the point is clear. David is convinced that God has been watching with great interest and has taken note of his situation.
Next he states, "[You have] put my tears in your bottle." David is telling us that God views the tears we shed as worthy of preservation. In every circumstance of the believer's life, God is present. He remembers our pain. He captures our tears in his bottle, so that none of them are wasted or forgotten. A day is coming when God will extract the price for every tear of the righteous from those who caused them. But for us who believe, our tears will be wiped away.
He concludes this verse with the words, "Are they not in your book?" That is to say, God has recorded all of this in his book of remembrance. He cannot, nor would he, forget the sorrow of his children. All the days of our life are recorded in his book. He delights in remembering us. He is bringing about the right and fitting conclusion to all things, even the tears.
I am not sure what kind of hardships you have endured in your lives, but I am confident that not one tear has escaped God's notice. He has seen, and he remembers. Have you made the Lord your refuge? Are you confident he will deliver you? Is your heart breaking? In faith, ask him to show you mercy. Here is a song that will help you to do just that, "He Knows My Name":
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