Showing mercy

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans

Comments, thoughts and reflections welcome

Verse of the day:

[Mat 5:7 RSV] 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Question: What is the easiest way for us to obtain mercy?

Yesterday’s verse Psalm 18:25 stated much the same thing.

Those who are merciful will obtain mercy.  Following yesterday’s verse we see now that both the Old Testament and the New Testament contain an instruction clarifying how we may obtain mercy.

Definition of mercy:  Merriam-Webster states:

• compassion or forbearance  shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power
• also : lenient or compassionate treatment

When we are gifted with permission to wield power over another with opportunity to impose our will over theirs but we show compassion on them and refuse to do so we show mercy.  There are ample opportunities to speak against another in whatever manner we wish both on social media and in real life actions. When we refrain, we show mercy.  What is gained by our showing mercy?  We will receive mercy from that One who holds all power over all of us when we face him.  We will gain perhaps an ear that will hear when we speak of that One and his offer of mercy.  We will be demonstrating the love in our heart for others that can only come from the Master, Father God Almighty through Jesus Christ.

Show mercy today at every opportunity thrown your way.  Be a light in a world of unmerciful people.  Let His mercy shine through you and lead them back to the Father.

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He delivers and rescues…

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans

Comments, thoughts and reflections welcome.

Daniel 6:25-28

 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.

 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.

 He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

 

Throughout the Bible are events that have been written down to be passed on to the generations that follow. These events share common themes and teachings. One principle that appears often is stated this way; when we set a trap for someone else we will more than likely end up caught in it ourselves. Unfortunately we also see another principle here; what we do  affects those around us, usually the ones closest to us. The men who were attempting to eliminate Daniel motivated by jealousy, were given the same treatment but not just them; it extended to their families. They did not have a faith in God to protect them; their hearts were devious and evil and it came back on them without mercy. God’s mercy, grace and love is extended to all . We must seek it and receive it to possess it. We should be grateful and ever praising the Lord for that mercy and grace.

 

he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth,

 

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Do we believe him?…

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans

Comments, thoughts and reflections welcome.

Isaiah 30:18-24

 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.    For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.    And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.    And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.  Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”  And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork.   And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.    Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

Do we have adversity? Do we suffer affliction?  It is no mystery; it comes.

 “… And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, …”

We are not left powerless.  He waits for our cry and answers.

“…He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. …”

Do we believe him when he says, “I am the Lord who heals you.”?  Do we believe him when he says,  you will see your Teacher; you will hear his word.  “This is the way, walk in it…”?  Do we believe him when he promises to wipe away our tears, bind our wounds, bless us with abundance, show us mercy?  Do we believe him?

Disclaimer:  if ads are appearing anywhere on this page it is because they are placed there by WordPress not by me.  I have read the information on ads and in order to be ad free now, Word Press charges a fee.  I apologize for any inconvenience these ads may cause you and if they are inappropriate please message me.  Thank you, gracie

Mercy…

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans

Comments, thoughts and reflections welcome.

Romans 11:25-36

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

“and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,

so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.

For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”

“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Simply, who can place themselves above God?  No one.  So who can judge what God does?  No one.  God gives mercy to all and to those he wishes to give mercy to.  We are not in a place to question what he does  or does not do!  Are we above God that we would question him?  Yet how grateful we can be that the same mercy he shows  others can also be ours.  Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mercy provides…

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans

Comments, thoughts and reflections welcome.

 

Romans 9:19-29

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.'”

“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.'”

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,

for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.”

And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”

 

Continuing through the 9th chapter of Romans, Paul presents to us again the sovereignty of God.   We have access to salvation only because He maintains mercy and provides that there will be believers whose praise will bring Him glory.

God is God…

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans

Comments, thoughts and reflections welcome.

Romans 9:1-18

  I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—

that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.

To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,

and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”

This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.”

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,

though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—

she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

This chapter opens with a declaration of truth then follows with insight into the heart of Paul and the extent of his prior education and training in the Scriptures then available.  He speaks to us in Romans out of the wealth of knowledge in which he was trained and also from the heart of love for his people.  Above all that he speaks under the direction of the Holy Spirit; as the Holy Spirit guides in knowledge and understanding as promised by Jesus before he left.  The overarching message is that God is God; He decides and He determines who or what in life.  He grants mercy and has compassion.  We are the recipients at His will.

Prayer for mercy…

Daniel 9:15-19

And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly!

“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.  Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.  O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.  O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Pasted from <http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Dan&c=9&t=NKJVP&x=9&y=5>

 

Can we collectively pray this prayer with Daniel and put it in today’s time reference?

“…we have sinned, we have done wickedly!…”

Can we ask for  His mercy?

“… because of Your great mercies.  O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act!…”

He is the same yesterday, today, forever.

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV – Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, today, and forever.

We do not ask for His favor based upon our righteousness, for it is filthy rags, but upon His righteousness which Christ has bestowed upon us through the cross.

Isaiah 64:6 NKJV – But we are all like an unclean [thing], And all our righteousnesses [are] like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Romans 5:17 NKJV – For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

May we continue to pray for His intervention in the events unfolding in our time and space that are not in accordance with his commands.  Have we come to a place where we cannot do this alone?  We need His intervening power.  Even so come Lord Jesus.

River of Life…

Ezekiel 47:1-12

Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.

3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.

7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. 8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. 10 It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. 12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

Pasted from <http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Eze&c=47&v=1&t=NKJVP>

Water, the giver of life, wherever it flows there is life, food for life and healing. The fruit will not fail and the leaf will not wither.  The fruit for food and the leaf for healing.

“…Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”…”

This spiritual water flows from the temple. We receive life from our relationship with the Lord and that life bears fruit that does not fail.

“…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law….”  Galatians 5:22-23

This reminds us of  the fruit of the spirit:  love, kindness, gentleness, joy goodness, peace, longsuffering, self-control and faithfulness.

“…Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail….”

This fruit will not fail.  Let us bear this fruit and may it bring life to those who cross our paths.  This fruit is desperately needed at this time, following the elections.  May those who carry the name of believer or Christian show this fruit in their demeanor and interactions with the rest of society so that they do not fuel the erroneous image of ‘Christian’ so prevalent  today.  May this river of life flow out of us to those around us.  Blessed be the name of the Lord God Jehovah.

Click on picture and worship with Don Moen; River of Life

Another site with a post along the same line of thought:

Nature’s Scroll at:  http://greenlightlady.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/natures-scroll/

What of sacrifice?

Ezekiel 40:38-43

There was a chamber and its entrance by the gateposts of the gateway, where they washed the burnt offering. 39 In the vestibule of the gateway were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to slay the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering. 40 At the outer side of the vestibule, as one goes up to the entrance of the northern gateway, were two tables; and on the other side of the vestibule of the gateway were two tables. 41 Four tables were on this side and four tables on that side, by the side of the gateway, eight tables on which they slaughtered the sacrifices. 42 There were also four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, one cubit and a half long, one cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high; on these they laid the instruments with which they slaughtered the burnt offering and the sacrifice. 43 Inside were hooks, a handbreadth wide, fastened all around; and the flesh of the sacrifices was on the tables.

Pasted from <http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Eze&c=40&v=1&t=NKJVP>

 

taken from: tijax

There is nothing pretty about sacrifice.  Many turn from pictures like this and wish to only focus on the good; but this is an integral part of the whole of the nature of God and the sin condition of His creation. And so we can conclude there is nothing pretty about sin for which these sacrifices were required.  A parallel picture comes to mind.  There is nothing pretty about the slaughter of the unborn.  And we can also say this occurs as a result of sin.  Worship of self over God’s laws is paramount.  There is nothing pretty about the sacrifice of Christ, which occurred as a result of sin to pay for all sin for all time.  The blessed part of this picture is the salvation that comes from the sacrifice.  Can we truly sense the horror of it and the mercy and love that drove it?  Ho much does God love a sinful creation?  Enough to die a horrible death for it.

Lord have mercy…

Ezekiel 36:1-12

1 “And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD! 2 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because the enemy has said of you, ‘Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,’ ” ’ 3 therefore prophesy, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you are taken up by the lips of talkers and slandered by the people”— 4 therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around— 5 therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with wholehearted joy and spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country.” ’

6 “Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have borne the shame of the nations.” 7 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame. 8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. 9 For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. 10 I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11 I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. 12 Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel; they shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you bereave them of children.”

Pasted from <http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Eze&c=36&v=1&t=NKJVP>

God gives a promise of good to follow the evil that has come. Consequences were received for the pride and arrogance but it didn’t end there for our God is also  a God of love and mercy.  May these promises hold true for our nation as well. Pray for healing and judgment with mercy.

Lord Have Mercy