Mercy

Mercy

Genesis 9: ¹² And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: ¹³ I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. ¹⁴ It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; ¹⁵ and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶ The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷ And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

 

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After wiping out all living things, only eight people remained. Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives were given the blessing to be fruitful and multiply for the purpose of GOD. BUT GOD knew this blessing would not last very long. HE saw the sins of humans and knew they would turn from HIM. HE created a reminder for HIMSELF that HE placed at the end of storms. HE created a rainbow.

 

My Observations:

• GOD shows incredible restraint when it comes to how HE handles human sin.
• GOD gave HIMSELF a reminder that HE would not wipe out humans, rather save them.
• GOD showed us mercy that is beyond all understanding.

 

Officially, GOD turned over the earth to humans. HE would no longer have a Garden on earth that would grow itself. Animals would fear humans and sometimes attack. Humans were given control and would need help guiding each other to listen to GOD. But culture would get in the way.

 

Culture tries to steal rainbows and give it a false meaning to fit their agenda. BUT GOD uses it for an entirely different purpose. HE is using the rainbow like a set of brakes on a car. HE stops HIMSELF from wrath and shows mercy instead.

 

JESUS, in a sense, can be that rainbow. The HOLY SPIRIT, who lives inside believers, may see and experience the hurt of sin. HE begs to JESUS in utterances we do not understand. JESUS stands before the FATHER on our behalf. Mercy is granted. GOD remembers and provides mercy!

 

Challenge

• Why do you think GOD told Moses about the promise HE made to HIMSELF?
• Have you ever needed mercy?
• Have you taken time to consider how much mercy GOD has shown you over your life?

Show Mercy

Show Mercy

Jude 1: ²² Show mercy toward those who have doubts; ²³ save others by snatching them out of the fire; and to others show mercy mixed with fear, but hate their very clothes, stained by their sinful lusts.

 

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After passing the car that was going at a high speed, I felt satisfied. I “won” the competition that the other driver never knew he or she was competing. I eased back from my high speed but still went along at a nice clip. Miles later, I saw a car following me. Police lights went flashing behind. “You were speeding and I should write you a ticket” but I am going to let you off this time” were the shocking words of mercy.

 

• I was clearly in the wrong.
• I deserved to get a judgment against me.
• I received mercy because I was told what I did was wrong and I was let go.

 

Jude gives his final instruction to believers. He tells everyone to “Show mercy.” He also knew how difficult this would be. To state the problem and to state the grace that is being shown is hard to do when the situation is highly emotional. Jude mentions the stakes by saying the believer would be “snatching them out of the fire.”

 

My Observations:

• GOD showed mercy to me by letting me know I am a sinner saved y HIS grace.
• GOD could have held everything against me, but instead HE saved me in spite of me.
• GOD does not like the sins I do, so HE looks inside my heart and cleans it with HIS compassion.

 

Showing mercy takes courage. I mean, the first part of mercy is to let him or her know the problem, then the grace. Mercy can be extended without expectation that he or she will accept it or change in front of your eyes. GOD has a plan.

 

HE sees the problem and guides people who need mercy to places that are broken. HE then opens their eyes to the brokenness and helps him or her ask for mercy versus demanding it. Jude’s advice is to be wise and be ready to show mercy when the moment is right. I am glad GOD shows mercy to you and me.

 

Challenge

• Who does the writer recommend to show mercy to?
• Have you ever been the benefactor of mercy?
• Will you ask GOD for the right “graceful” words to carefully explain the problem and to extend mercy for the sake of growing GOD’s kingdom today?

Powerful Mercy

Mark 5: Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. ² And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, ³ who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, ⁴ because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. ⁵ And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. ⁷ And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

⁸ For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” ⁹ Then He asked him, “What is your name?”

And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” ¹⁰ Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

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Driving on a sunny day made me feel great. I was on my way to a friend’s house to enjoy some company. As I drove through the intersection near his house, a car ran a stop sign and hit my old junker. With little apology they threatened me instead of providing their insurance. I wanted them arrested for the rest of their lives!

• Sometimes I want revenge!
• Sometimes I want “justice!”
• Sometimes I want “that” person to get what’s coming to them!

JESUS does something absolutely amazing in this slice of history. A legion of demons, whose job was to torment people, asked for mercy.  JESUS had the power to immediately speak them into being eternally tormented but restrained for it was not the right time.

• JESUS says to me “Vengeance is MINE.”
• JESUS says to me “I AM full of mercy and grace.”
• JESUS says to me “Judge not lest you be judged.”

This conversation between the demons and JESUS shows me that HE can give mercy to anyone who asks. I need to follow HIS example of giving mercy to those who may be against me.

• Did someone do something to you?
• Did they deliberately hurt you?
• Can you accept the power GOD is giving you by showing undeserved mercy on them?

Exhausted Trying to Please

Micah 6: ⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

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Figuring out what the boss wanted was a puzzle and I was losing sleep. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about work so I would jump out of bed, labor for a couple of hours then fall asleep for the remaining fifteen or twenty minutes before the alarm. I would then try to present my work only to be brushed off to do more laborious tasks. “What does he want?” I would exclaim!

• Sometimes I get exhausted trying to please others.
• Sometimes I get weary trying to guess at what others want from me.
• Sometimes I get fatigued trying so hard to get things right that I lose sleep and feel even more tired!

“What do YOU want from me?” is an expression I have also used on GOD. I mean when I wasn’t getting my way I would try to do what GOD wanted me to do in a measured way. I would pray more, give more and show up to church more. I would even reduce my sins for good measure.

Then when I did not get my way, I would tell the LORD the list of things I had done so HE could eventually relent on holding back from my long past due rewards. I would then ask again “What do YOU want from me?”

• GOD says to me “I want you to act justly to MY people.”
• GOD says to me “I want you to love the mercy I have shown you.”
• GOD says to me “I want you to walk humbly with ME, your GOD.”

CHRIST walked the earth showing me how life really should be done. HE set the example by showing even HIS enemy’s compassion. HE expressed HIS unfailing love in an extreme gentle way. The problem is sometimes the things I want may not be part of HIS plans. In fact they may conflict with HIM.

Any time I am anxious, nervous and afraid I must ask myself “Am I fighting GOD or serving HIM? GOD is not hard to please. HE was so pleased that HE became a human to die in my place. HE simply wants me to look at HIS example and follow them daily. That’s all.

• Are you exhausted trying to please others?
• Are you exhausted trying to please GOD?
• Can you stop “trying” so hard and just “be” the person GOD wants you to be?
• Will you stop downing yourself and others around you so you can add praise back into your life?