God is merciful. Any time we can reveal this to someone, it is a very good thing.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.
— Luke 6:36-38
When a person is downtrodden, having realized the futility of living for self, exhausted, and spent, I’m actually happy because there’s no better time to be as my Father in Heaven is - merciful. After all, what’s sweeter than showing a person mercy in their time of need? What’s a greater display of Christ-like love? To me, brokenness spells opportunity…opportunity to show a person how much their Creator loves them.
Brokenness ushers a person through the door to salvation that mercy has opened.
When a person’s cup is completely emptied of all hope, mercy fills it. When a person cries out in despair, mercy responds. When a person is pressed to their knees, mercy picks them up.
Divine mercy is open to all, but only the humble will receive it.
Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
— Matthew 9:10-13
I love the above scene because it shows Jesus’ heart towards those whose soil was ripe for planting. His intention wasn’t to judge them, but to save them. In the presence of obvious sin, Christ chose the loving path - He opened His heart up to those who would break bread with Him, regardless of their past failures. He was even able to empathize with those He was trying to save, like many of us can, having been tempted as others had been.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
— Hebrews 4:15-16
Jesus understands us. His mercy is all the proof we ever need.
Mercy leaves no room for condemnation. How could it, lest it become something less than mercy??? A broken person doesn’t need to hear that they deserve to live a life of despair; they need to hear about God’s forgiveness, His desire to save, and the depths of His mercy, grace, and love. We are often too quick to judge and too slow to forgive others, aren’t we? Yet, in those moments, we cling selfishly to our own hope in eternal life with every fiber of our being. Right?
Let us never be selfish with God’s merciful message of salvation! Let us encourage the humble, the brokenhearted, the morally destitute, those without hope. Let us put God’s mercy on full display like a neon sign that reads:
Come to Me [Jesus], all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
— Matthew 11:28-30
This is the message for those who have lost hope - thank GOD for His mercy. There’s hope for the weary!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The LORD performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
— Psalms 103:1-6
Until a person is saved from drowning in their own guilt, it’ll be difficult for them to hear over all of the thrashing, especially the good news about God’s saving grace. Mercy has the unique ability to settle a distraught soul. Let us become specialists in settling souls, and may we always be empathetic. Was it so long ago that we were in their shoes?
For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
— Titus 3:3-7
Love In Christ,
Ed Collins
