What Is Actually Included in the Act of Mercy?

The majority of people love to receive gifts from family and friends. Perhaps the most difficult gift to receive or give is mercy, which should be  the easiest. Every believer in Jesus Christ has been the recipient of divine mercy, which consists of God’s undeserved, unfailing compassion and love.

So what should mercy consist of that you offer to those who have deliberately hurt you so severely? Included in God’s mercy are forgiveness and pardon, which cover all the sins you committed against God, others, and yourself.

Acts of mercy consist of compassion, including pity for the person who surely has imperfections and weaknesses. Mercy includes the will to forgive as God has forgiven you. Mercy determines to let go of anger and resentment and then replaces those hurt feelings with prayer for the offender by asking God to bless the person with his goodness, love, and kindness. God will give you the will to do this.  

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Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you, therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him.

~Isaiah 30:18 New International Version

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How Has a Pivotal Moment Changed Your Life?

Ever since human beings began gathering together in groups, rules were paramount to determine how a society functioned. The measure of a person was determined by how he or she complied with the values that bonded people together.

Individuals were judged by pivotal events that distinguished them from others but still united their life to others. A pivotal moment occurred  when a person faced a directional change that was caused by a situation that forever changed their life.

The Apostle Paul experienced such a pivotal moment on the road to Damascus when he encountered the Lord Jesus Christ. His perception of himself was transformed, as was his purpose and mission for life. A pivotal event will determine how you want to spend the time God has given you to live your life.

Committing your life and time to Jesus Christ can be the most significant pivotal moment you will ever experience. God bless you! 

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The Lord is waiting to show how kind he is and to have pity on you. The Lord always does right; he blesses those who trust him.

~Isaiah 30:18 Contemporary English Version 

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What Lessons Does Experience Teach Us?

There are times when it’s difficult to distinguish if a decision is ill-advised and will evolve into a serious mistake. Making a wrong turn onto a street because of poor visibility can be excused, but choosing to exceed the speed limit in a school zone is not an acceptable mistake.

Choosing is a process of the intellect while a mistake can be attributed to faulty information or confusion. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is packed with issues for today’s believer. This young man chose to demand his inheritance early rather than wait for his father’s death.

The Prodigal Son wasn’t confused or lacking intelligence but was short on experience. To gain the respect of his son, the father permitted him to choose failure but without condemnation. The father’s choice was risky, yet he believed in his son. God permits us to make choices that may result in pain and suffering, but he never gives up on us. 

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If any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all.

~James 1:5 Good News Bible

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Turning Back to God

Difficult and uncertain times call for confidence, not so much in our own strength and power but rather in God's desire to help. Confidence to grow and mature to manage challenging times can be a struggle if we fade from dependency on God and trust only in our socio-economic status and personal power to supply our needs.

This is a dangerous choice if it means facing every crisis in your own strength and power without God’s help. When confidence fades and hardships prevail, turn back to God. Isaiah 30:15 offers encouragement. "Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. Let quietness and confidence be your strength."

Believe these words for they will help you depend on the strength and power of God, who gives you strength and wisdom to believe and trust in him. He asks you to love him with all of your strength regardless of how small that may be. God will honor this and cause it to grow and mature.                         

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The Lord God is waiting to show how kind he is and to have pity on you. The Lord always does right; he blesses those who trust him.

~Isaiah 30:18 Contemporary English Version

 

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.  

~1 Peter 5:10 New International Version

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Dependency on God: A Bridge to Happiness

If you could write out a formula for happiness, what would you include as the essential components to ensure success? Most people have an innate range in their emotional make-up for feeling pleasant, optimistic and secure. Happiness has everything to do with believing life is rewarding and that positive good exists.

Happiness is not the absence of adversity. Helen Keller became blind and deaf at nineteen months of age. As an adult she wrote these wise words in her journal. "Many persons have a wrong idea about true happiness. It is not obtained through self-gratification, but through faithfulness to a worthy purpose." Helen knew what it meant to contend with adversity.

Researchers discovered that lottery winners return to their old happiness baseline within one year. Jesus gave us these words about happiness, "Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Those who are poor in spirit are not haughty or pompous because they realize they are spiritually poor and that all they have is dependent upon God's grace and mercy.  

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How happy are those who know their need for God, for the kingdom of Heaven is theirs!

~Matthew 5:3 Phillips – New Testament in Modern English

And yet the Lord is waiting to be merciful to you. He is ready to take pity on you because he always does what is right. Happy are those who put their trust in the Lord.

~Isaiah 30:18 Good News Bible

Hurtful Choices

What kind of person would give up his or her inheritance for a quick meal? Hunger is an extremely strong drive, one of our strongest. Late one Friday afternoon when I was in the Air Force I recall walking into the mess hall starved, ready to gobble down anything on the menu, even if were something I hated.

  

Genesis 25:30 tells us Esau came in from a hunt absolutely famished. In that state he traded his birthright to Jacob for a quick meal, which was a great deal for Jacob. He could have given the food to Esau. This was his brother, but Jacob was not generous and Esau was willing to sell cheap.

 

What could these brothers have been thinking and feeling later that evening? Jacob could have used his creativity to be generous, but he used it for selfish gain. This was his chance to be loving and kind, but he chose to build a bridge to hate and alienation. While it’s hard to wait for God’s timing and purpose, it’s the right thing to do.