Lord ,Have Mercy!

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Lord, have mercy! How many times have we gotten into an uncomfortable or dangerous situation and cried out to the LORD for mercy? There are so many times on this life's journey when we want and need compassion and assistance in our time of distress...and we want it NOW!

Yet, Jesus reminds us in the Sermon on the Mount that in His Kingdom, it is those who are merciful who obtain mercy. The world is filled with heartache and sorrow and it is mercy that moves us to do something for those in need. Love causes us to help the weak, the sick and the poor.

Mercy is required of us. Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Being merciful is more than being nice or kind. Mercy is part of God's revelation of Himself to us. Throughout the Bible God shows us His grace, love, commitment and loyalty...all aspects of His mercy.

Mercy, also, describes the person who puts himself or herself in the place of another. This is what God did for us. He saw us lost and broken, sin-sick and unable to change our situation, and love caused Him to send His one of a kind Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Jesus took our deserved punishment for rebellion and failure to please God and died in our stead. Mercy caused Jesus, who knew no sin to become sin for us. It was His mercy that moved Him to reach out to us and to reconcile us to Himself.

God wants us to do as He does--to have this mind that was in Jesus. Showing mercy is how God wants His people to act towards others.

Mercy is one of the fruit of the Spirit and God develops it in His children as they, stay connected to Him. What about you? Do you need the lovingkindness, the mercy, of God? Do you desire to be treated far better than you deserve? Then share that mercy that has been given to you!

God has told us in His Word that "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy!"