“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matt. 5:5
Way back when, I worked on an illustration for one of my bosses that showed a trickle of water leaking out from under a bulging sluice gate in the desert. The drawing was supposed to illustrate "mercy." I knew even back then that something was not right about it, although I probably couldn't have told you what it was.
Today I know that those who truly accept God's mercy aren't sitting outside its gates like panting dogs begging for a scrap. When we chose to believe in him, God he let loose the floodgates and bowled us over with his mercy! That's why I like this song lyric, "Mercy, there’s a word we could drown in every moment..."
The words remind me how desperately I need mercy…every day, every moment. How, when I think about what it means to receive mercy from a perfect, righteous, heavenly Father, I am overwhelmed to the point of “drowning.” I gasp and have to catch my breath at how compassionate and patient He is with me. And that leads me to ask myself, “How merciful am I to those around me?”
If, like my former boss, I only recognize God as someone who metes out mercy like a tyrant who's holding back his goodness and blessings from me, I'll probably won't be a merciful person. But, if I recognize that God has unleashed his storehouse of mercy on me, I wind up being thankful for every breath and eager to share from the wealth I receive every day!
What does being merciful look like? It begins with taking the time to listen. Our merciful response in our relationships could be to pray, to forgive or perhaps to help those within our sphere of influence to take a “next step” towards offering mercy to others themselves.... As we extend mercy to others we can more deeply experience and appreciate God’s mercy towards us.
Dear Jesus, thank you for Your mercy towards Sarah. Your unconditional love for her never ceases! Bless her with Your faithfulness. Help her to extend mercy to others, and reveal to her those in her life who need not just her mercy, but Yours. Amen.
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