Dearly beloved in Christ,
I greet you in the sweet name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of all the characteristics of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the one aspect that stands out is His mercy. He is rich in His mercy. In His mercy we have access to so many blessings. Some yearn for mercy from children, but find them wanting and end their lives. Some might have had good life in the past, but find life empty with no one to show mercy. In a forsaken state they take to begging. But our Lord Jesus Christ is filled with compassion. There is no end to His mercy. In Isaiah 54:6 & 8, He says, “For the Lord has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused. . . With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you.” The Lord is the same today.
Dear Brother/ Sister, you may be desolate with no one to care for you in your weakened state. You may be treated with contempt by all. You may remain disturbed seeking death as a solution. Do not be dismayed as the Lord promises: “But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you.” Because of His mercy you would have joy and exaltation all your life with peace.
David pleads to the Lord after committing a sin: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.” (Psalm 51:1). In Psalm 31:9, he says, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief.” Again he makes his plea on the ground of mercy, “Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted.” (Psalm 25:16). Lamentation also speaks about His mercy: “Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies” (Lamentation 3:32).
Thus the Lord God is full of love to show mercy to us in an abundant measure above our understanding and bless and fill us with His blessings. He will multiply good things in our lives in His mercy.
I GOD WORKS THROUGH MERCY
1. Deliverance Through Mercy
“... yet when they returned and cried out to You, You heard from heaven; and many times You delivered them according to Your mercies” Nehemiah 9:28
Today man needs deliverance in certain areas of his life. Seeking this deliverance, some submit themselves to affliction through their faith in wrong things. Once praying for a brother, I asked him what he buried on the kitchen table. He had been wrongly guided by another person who had no faith in the Bible to bury a coin so that there would be plenty to eat in his house. He was also asked to come around it three times at night time without clothes. He also did that the same way. As the Lord revealed it, he believed in the Lord and confessed it and returned to the Lord. Then he was blessed to return to his work and began to earn enough to live without any wants.
There are people living under the bondage of sin. They are not able to give up those sins in spite of their attempts. They find it impossible to overcome them. They are sore troubled. Today some are under the bondage of their mobile phones as they struggle to give up the habit of visiting certain harmful sites of pornography. They know that it spoils their thoughts, but find it difficult to overcome the temptation.
Some are under the bondage of the devil. They are constantly struggling with evil forces which affect their peace and happiness. They suffer because of ill health or strained relationship with others. Some incur loss in business and are under the grip of fear. Something ails them all the time because of the devil. But Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil and to deliver us. If the Son of God Jesus Christ makes you free, you shall be free indeed. You may be suffering from the onslaughts of the devil. If you believe in the Lord who is the Truth, Jesus Christ will set you free through His mercy.
Thus many suffer in weaknesses caused by the devil – the spirit of infirmity. Jesus Christ delivers such people through His acts of mercy. Some are under bondage to their debts. They find it difficult to come out of it. Those who borrow are slaves to their lenders. Because of His loving kindness, He wants to set them free. He can deliver you from any such bondage and bless you. He can deliver you from the fear of death. Believe in His mercy and receive His blessings of freedom.
Because He is merciful, you will be delivered from any such bondage.
2. Lot’s Rescue Through Mercy
“And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.” Genesis 19:16
Because the Lord God had mercy on Lot, he and his family were taken out from Sodom before it was burnt. “The Lord shall preserve you from all evil” (Psalm 121:7). It is written about Him: “You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues” (Psalm 31:20). The Lord lives. He will not forsake you. Like David, let us confess our sins and bid farewell to our wicked nature. Then we will be protected by His mercy.
Once a Headmaster of a school went with his friends to see how far the front outer hall of the church had been built. They had laid the concrete for the roof with all its beams. He saw it and then came out to see how it looked from outside. When he thus came out, a portion of the concrete collapsed and fell down. But he was saved from all dangers by the mercy of the Lord. When the Lord is merciful, He protects us from all dangers, from sickness and destruction.
3. Healing Through Mercy
“since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” Philippians 2:26,27
The Lord is our fortress. He protects us from all sickness and makes us live healthily. His name is a fortress into which the righteous run and dwell in safety. When we enjoy the mercy of the Lord, He removes all the evil nature of the diseases and saves us from wicked creatures and makes us live in comfort. If you come to Him with faith, He will deliver you from all pains and sufferings and make a new life bloom in you. As it is said in Matthew 8:7, “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” (Matt. 8:17). He loves His ministers to live with health. He had mercy on Epaphroditus and also on Paul that He made him regain his health from the jaws of death. Through His compassion alone we have recovery from illness. Romans 9:16 says: “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” With everlasting kindness, He will show His mercy. Out of compassion Jesus Christ touched the leper who was an outcast and healed him. Bartimaeus, a blind man who heard that Jesus Christ was coming there, cried to Jesus Christ, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Even though others tried to quell him, he tried to cry out all the more. So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. He asked the blindman what he wanted from Him. He replied that he needed sight. Jesus had mercy on him and told him, “Your faith has saved you.” He received his sight and followed Jesus. He was blind, but cried for mercy; he received sight and followed Him.
4. Rejoicing Through Mercy
“When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.” Luke 1:58
The Lord God had promised to Abraham that He would be merciful to him and his descendants. Elizabeth was barren and her husband was serving in the temple. Both were aged. The Lord God had mercy on him, and his wife conceived in old age and gave birth to a male child. As the Lord made manifest His mercy to them, every one of his relatives and others around him rejoiced. When the Lord has mercy on us, all our needs will be met by Him.
Today you may be in want of something. Dear Brother/ Sister, the Lord God who is rich in mercy will fulfil it to His glory. You may lack children. Loving Jesus Christ is alive to fulfil your needs, to bind your wounds, to wipe away your tears and comfort you. If you plead for mercy in His presence, He will have compassion on you and fulfil your needs.
4. Bring You Back Through Mercy
“I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them.” Zechariah 10:6
The Lord, who said that He would not forsake any sinner and asked us to forgive others seven seventy times, has not changed. Peter had been warned early enough, and yet he saw the situation and in fear forgot the warning from Jesus Christ and consequently denied having any knowledge of Jesus. He started to swear and curse. But as he remembered the word of Jesus and realized his mistake, he bitterly wept. Jesus Christ had mercy on him and met him in his backslidden state after His resurrection. He made him serve Him to do the follow up ministry. He asked him three times whether he loved Him. Thus, He prepared His heart to live for Christ. He established him in the ministry for which he was chosen. He did not forsake him. He answered his prayers and did miracles. Thus, he was made to stand in ministry to lead many into righteousness. Many turned to Christ listening to him.
Dearly beloved in Christ, the Lord who established and used Peter, who was backslidden, would listen to your prayers also and have mercy on you.
II HOW TO APPROPRIATE THE MERCY OF THE LORD
1) Confess and Forsake Sin
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
If you truly confess and give up your sins, the Lord Jesus Christ will forgive you and have mercy on you. We are ready to confess them, but are in no mind to give them up. It is this sin that deters us from enjoying His mercy. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1,2). The Lord God hears our prayers and is loving towards us. Even while we were sinners, He loved us and gave up His life on the cross for our sake. Through His blood shed on the cross, we are blessed to be cleansed of our sins and to have a holy life. We all had gone astray from His path and were spoilt. The Lord says, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen” (Rev. 1:18). He is in our midst.
He says in Isaiah 1:16-17: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” He does not change. He makes a sinner righteous. A woman caught in sin was brought before Him who according to the law of Moses was to be stoned to death. But He did not accept their judgement. He asked those who accused her to stone her if they were sinless. Everyone left the place as they were accused by their conscience. Thus He rescued her from the jaw of death. Thus He rescues everyone caught in the mire of sin to live without sin and to be holy. He transforms lives by change of heart. He is the same today. If we confess our sins and decide to give them up, we become blessed to receive mercy from Him.
Once a young man realized the consequences of sin and came for prayer to remain without sinning. He had all along been subjected to the evil desires of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. As he truly repented, he confessed and decided to give up his sinful life. The Lord heard his prayers and forgave him. He was transformed to be a servant of the Lord. So let us not hide our sins, but confess and forsake them. We will have mercy.
2) Fear the Lord
“As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:13
Fear grips the heart of several persons. They think of the weaknesses in the body and fear the worst. Some fear the consequences of the financial losses incurred; some about their future. They imagine the worst that might happen to them in the future and are fear-stricken. The problems they face terrorises them and they get depressed. Some seek relief through death.
Dear child of God, do you have the fear of the Lord? To have the fear of the Lord is to shun evil. The Lord said to Abraham, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me” (Gen. 22:12). As he feared the Lord, he obeyed His words. We are blessed in various ways when we fear the Lord. The Bible says, “He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great” (Psalm 115:13). “Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table.” (Psalm 128:1-3). “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house . . .” (Psalm 112:1-3). Above all these, we have His mercy when we fear Him. His mercy is the source for peace, and happiness. We will be successful in what we do.
3) Be His People
“Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! and break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, and will have mercy on His afflicted” Isaiah 49:13
As we become His own people, we have His mercy. Very often we take efforts to have the mercy of worldly people in power and authority by pleasing them and honouring them. We help them. To have the mercy of the Lord we must become His people by listening to His words. The Lord says, “Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God” (Jer. 11:4). We must obey His words. “The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon” (Psalm 29:4-5). When we hear His voice and obey His words, we become His people. We should be able to identify His voice. The sheep can recognize the voice of the shepherd. “. . . the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:4). We should be cleansed to hear His voice. In Isaiah 6:7-8 we read: “And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.” “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” When we are cleansed with the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross, we begin to hear His voice. As we commit to hear His voice, we become His people or the sheep of His fold.
The Bible further says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). People who were in darkness saw a great light. He came to make us shine. Let us follow the loving God, and become His people and enjoy His mercy.
4) Be Merciful
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7
Let us show mercy to others. Mercy would make us pray for them, help them in their need. What we sow, we will reap. When we show mercy to others, we would have mercy from the Lord. Proverbs 14:21 says, “He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” The Lord of compassion will show mercy to us and bless us.
5) Love the Lord
“... but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” Exodus 20:6
Let us commit to love the Lord. Let us not love the world or the things of this world for if we love them, we have no love for the Lord (1 John 2:15). In loving Him, we have His favour. David says, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength” (Psalm 18:1). As he loved the Lord, He rescued him from King Saul and His mercy was upon him all the time. King Solomon also thus had love for the Lord and sacrificed and made offerings. 1 Kings 3:3 says, “And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.” Therefore, the Lord God said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” He asked and got from the Lord a wise and discerning mind to govern the people.
Dearly beloved in Christ, commit today to love the Lord. You would have His mercy and blessings.
May the Lord bless us!
In the service of Christ Jesus,
Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul