Mercy!
“Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy.”
Matthew 5:7 (HCSB)
I remember as a child playing a silly game called mercy. I would play it with my cousin George who was much older and stronger. Can I just tell you this morning, Cousin George showed me very little mercy in playing this game. He would try and break my fingers. Most of you are probably familiar with the game, you lock your fingers together with your opponent and you try and bend their hands back as they are trying to bend your hands back. It really hurts! The loser is the first one to shout mercy! I was stubborn, but he was much bigger and stronger so I would always hold out as long as possible, then I would shout mercy. George, would always hold me a little longer than necessary after I shouted the magic word with this evil smile on his face. Sometimes, he would make me say other things before he would release my hands. I must admit that I smile when I think about those innocent childhood games. But I also can’t help but think, that I am glad that God is not like that! He showed us mercy before we were even capable of showing mercy. This beatitude is probably one of the most misunderstood. By reading it casually, it appears that our being merciful is a condition of receiving mercy from God! This is not what it means. God shows us mercy because He is GOD. What this verse means is that we (believers) should be merciful because we have obtained mercy. There is a promise here in this verse; the promise is that God will show the merciful…mercy! Being merciful is a characteristic that all Christians should have! The ability to show mercy to others shows growth in the life of a believer. We should possesses the ability to show forgiveness for the guilty as well as compassion for the suffering and the needy. How are you doing at showing mercy to those you meet everyday? My prayer for you today is that you will seek out opportunities to be merciful. I love you all!
