Thank God he is merciful

The story goes that a politician became very angry when he viewed proofs of his portrait. He said, “This picture does not do me justice.” 

The photographer replied, “Sir, with a face like yours, you don’t need justice, you need mercy.”

With a heart like ours, we all need mercy. Why should I say this? Because of scriptures like Isaiah 29:13, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” 

Sometimes our hearts betray us. We are not as faithful and committed to the Lord as we say we are. That is why we need the Lord’s mercy.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we saw more mercy shown in our world. Jesus went about demonstrating mercy as seen in his confrontation with the woman at the well (John 4) and the woman taken in adultery (John 8). I would like to think that mercy rules in our world, but I don’t believe it is true.

The Apostle Peter says, “... it is by His boundless mercy God has given us the privilege of being born again” (I Peter 1:3). In our first birth, we are born into a world of sin; but in our second birth, we are born into a world of grace, mercy, love, forgiveness and blessing. By means of our second birth, we come into the kingdom of God. God did not have to do this, but it was the result of his mercy.

In his mercy God has also given us an inheritance. “For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for His children” (I Peter 3:4). Most people receive no inheritance, but as Christians we have an inheritance awaiting us. It is reserved for his children. It will never perish, spoil or fade.

“And God, in His mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation” (I Peter 3:4). In his mercy, we are shielded by God’s power. God gives us strength to face the temptations thrown at us by the evil one. “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (II Thessalonians 3:3). Thank God for the protection of a loving heavenly father.

He demonstrated his mercy when he gave us a new birth, the promise of heaven at the end of our life here, and protection for our journey (I Peter 1:3-5).