Wednesday, November 13th

30 Days of Praise

When I share what I'm grateful for today, it will seem like a praise that didn't take much thought because it's a word that is commonly spoken among Christian ranks.  Mercy.  I'm so grateful today for mercy.  I don't mean God's mercy.  Of course, I am eternally grateful for the mercy that the Lord extended in offering His only begotten Son to pay the sin penalty that I owed.  God's mercy is rich and abundant, and I am not making little of it.  Without His mercy, I'd not ever be able to call Heaven my home.  However, the mercy that I am speaking of today is the mercy we extend on a daily basis to others.  Mercy is defined as the kind or forgiving treatment of someone who may deserve to be treated harshly.  And, I am so thankful this morning that there are examples in the Scripture of ones who showed mercy when perhaps it would have been easier not to.  I think of Abraham.  When disrespected and dishonored by his nephew Lot, he didn't return Lot's  selfish attitude.  Abraham extended mercy and even risked his own life to rescue his nephew and family.  What about King David offering mercy to Mephibosheth---the descendant of his close friend Jonathan?   It was customary to have all the former king's sons and grandsons put to death to prevent a future uprising.  David didn't do that.  Instead, he sought Mephibosheth and fed him from the king's table. 

Throughout the Bible, we are shown examples time and again of those who offered mercy to others; I believe the Lord makes it possible for us to extend mercy because of the great mercy that has been extended to usward.  It has been said that the one who forgives much is the one who has had much forgiven.  It's easier to offer mercy if we know the blessing of receiving it ourselves. 

Mercy---is there someone today to whom you can minister through the gift of mercy?

Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy. Proverbs 20:28

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 13
I Corinthians 9