Pointing to Jesus

Matthew 5:7- Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.

To be merciful is to be full of pity and compassion. It also involves forgiveness. In respect to others, it is seeing someone’s need, feeling compassion for them, and doing something to meet the need. It is kindness in action. To be merciful also means to be forgiving of others. It is really hard, if not impossible, to show mercy to someone if you have unforgiveness toward them.

Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, o man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of  you but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

In Luke 6:36, Jesus says, “Be merciful even as your Father is merciful.” He says this in a passage where He is talking about loving our enemies.

Being merciful is showing kindness, compassion, and forgiveness to those who don’t deserve it.  God showed us the  ultimate act of mercy by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us even when we did nothing to deserve it. Let’s see what the Bible says about God’s mercy.

Psalm 103:8–  The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Psalm 145:8,9– The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in loving kindness.  The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works.

Lamentations 3:22-23– “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

I Peter 1:3- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. “

God has shown us great mercy, and we are to show mercy to others as well- even to those who don’t deserve it. When we do this, we will have a deep inner joy that comes from following Jesus’ example, and we will receive mercy ourselves.

Let’s show mercy as we have been shown mercy by God. Let’s show compassion and forgive those who have hurt or offended us. Let’s follow Jesus’s example and be full of mercy.

Many blessings,

Desiree