Be Merciful: Gospel Today Devotional - 22nd August, 2021

Our hearts have been positioned through this particular series in such a way that we have not only come to see from scripture the instructions that we have been given as believers but as well have been able to maintain a heart posture of obedience towards that which by the grace of God we have been instructed to do, isn't it? You have been blessed even as I have been as well, right? The Lord is not done with us yet as there are still some instructions he wants us to see. Praise God.

In our lesson yesterday, we talked about the fact that many persons expect that we exhibit certain traits as our parents, right? And that each time people say you look exactly like your dad, it doesn't necessarily mean you look like him facially but you behave just like him, right? The truth remains that aside the fact that this is expected of you as a son to your father, you must have stayed with him for such a long time to know how he behaves such that you begin to behave that way without compulsion, isn't it?

We know from scripture that God has so many attributes that we must show as his dear children, right? And yesterday, we saw that of holiness, isn't it? And then the instruction that followed. Today,  a new side or should I say attribute of God will be made known to us and the instruction that follows. Our emphasis however is on the instruction. I trust that the Lord who has been blessing our hearts ever since we began will bless our hearts even more. The passages of scripture to be considered in today's lesson is seen below,

"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy" (Psalm 103:8). 

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36).

When do you say someone is merciful or has shown mercy? Let me paint a picture to explain this; if a person has done something wrong, and everything points against him as an offender, stating clearly that he deserves to be punished, and all of a sudden that punishment is cancelled, what just happened is that such a person was shown mercy (compassion, pardon, help from punishment, etc). The reason for mercy is dependent on the one who shows mercy as it were. It may have been because he knew the parent of such a person, or perhaps because he considered the fact that such a person had children, and there would be no one to cater for them, etc.

You see, as believers, we need to understand that the God we serve is merciful (pitiful, compassionate). You can see from the passage of scripture above, how it states plainly the fact that the Lord is merciful, and gracious, and that he is slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. It means that the God you serve doesn't try to be merciful, he is in every sense merciful. His anger stays for long because of his mercy. Little wonder, God will still be patient until that sinner comes into the knowledge of him, until that brother or sister who has fallen into sin is restored to him. God is never tired of being merciful, why? The scripture says he is plenteous in mercy, meaning that God can never be tired of being merciful. His mercy can never end, and no wonder the scripture says the mercy of God endure forever (Psalm. 136:1b). Praise God.

Three things to note from that scripture; God is merciful, his mercy constrains his anger, and his mercy endures forever. This is to tell us that if God who has begotten us is merciful, if he takes care of both the evil, and the unthankful, and if at every point in time, he looks upon his creations with compassion, it means that we are to be merciful even as he who is our Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). That is the instruction to us today. Having seen that God is merciful, and having being born of him, the scripture instructs that we are to be merciful not just some way but the same way as he who has begotten us is merciful. Will you heed this instruction? It is my prayer that the Lord will of a truth so help us such that we obey with the whole of our hearts this instruction. Amen.

Thought for the day: God is merciful. The mercy of God constrains his anger. The mercy of God can never end because it endures forever. You are to be merciful even as he is merciful. This is that which you have been instructed to do.

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