Sunday, 25 August 2019

Matthew 5:7

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

One of the greatest testimonies of God’s mercy in your life is that you, too, are merciful towards the people in your life!

It’s not something we talk about much. We do talk about God’s mercy towards us. God’s mercy led him to pour out his grace on us in our salvation. That truth should make mercy one of the great marks of our relationships with others. 

What a powerful witness it is to non-Christians when they see the merciful nature of God being expressed through us! We express mercy in our words, in our way of relating to people, and even in our prayers. It’s so freeing to pray with a heart of forgiveness for those who have wronged you. When you pray for them, it’s hard to stay angry with them, and mercy flows from you to them.

The Holy Spirit wants to express God’s mercy through you to the lives of those you relate to, whether they are non-Christian or your brothers and sisters in Christ. His mercy is not to grudging mercy, but joyful mercy. Look at Phil 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” Don’t resent having to show mercy, but have a joyful attitude of mercy.

This doesn’t happen automatically. You must practice daily acting in mercy, asking God to enable you. Over time, mercy will become part of how you naturally live, because of what God is changing in you.

Is there someone God has put on your heart that you need to show mercy to? Ask him to help you with that now.

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