O Benevolent Lord, I am comforted in the knowledge that Your mercy is extended to all and is everlasting. Your forbearance with my mistakes and stumbling cause me to persevere in my efforts to do good and avoid evil. Imbedded in Your loving mercy is compassion for my ignorance and weaknesses. I rejoice in the fact that as I draw nearer to You I am able to see how much Your forgiveness means to my future. You have released me from the heavy burden of guilt for my sins so that I can live my life for You. In Your love, You showed me leniency because of my repentance and my desire to live in accordance with Your will. You could never be cruel or harsh with me when I fail because Your nature is to be gentle in the exercise of Your power in dealing with Your own. You nurture my efforts to do good, rebuke my foolish choices and support me through the working of the Holy Spirit.
Your goal is to show me what is good. You defined good as … acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with You. This calls me to practice mercy through fairness in my dealings with others … forgiveness of those who do me harm … and, learning to walk in humility in my relationships with You and others. You said “blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy” (Mt 5:7). By sharing Your mercy with others, I am providing them with a living picture of who You are. This reminds me that I am fortunate and blessed to have partaken in Your mercy and, as a consequence, I must share it with others. Through Your mercy, I am being given infusions of hope and joy which are independent of any outside circumstances. From my reading of Your Word, I have determined that things like justice, mercy and faithfulness are more important to You than flattering words and half-hearted promises.
In order to walk in Your wisdom, my thoughts and actions must be pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. You make it clear that acts of mercy must become a normal part of my life. Embedded in Your sacrifice, which saved my soul from eternal damnation, was a huge portion of love and mercy. Your goal in giving me life is not to punish me with cruelty and harshness for my misdeeds but to show me tenderness and compassion in the hope that I will overcome my temptations and struggles. In showing me mercy, You are seeking my devotion and obedience. You have let me know that Your “desire is mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of You rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6). What You want is my heart and I gladly surrender it to You. I rejoice in the fact that Your mercy is intended for all and I am included as a beneficiary of it. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Psalm 33:22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us according to our hope in You.
Good Saturday morning, Larry & Kathy.
In your Prayer this weekI was/am especially touched through your 2nd paragraph > How He defines good & how that calls me to practice mercy….and by sharing His Mercy with others, we are gifted with the opportunity/blessing to share with others the “living” picture of Who He Is!
Thank You, Brother Larry!