7th August 2021
FULL OF MERCY
David Abankwah
READ: Jude 1:22-23
Therefore be MERCIFUL, just as your FATHER ALSO IS MERCIFUL.
-Luke 6:36 | NKJV
To be merciful, is to treat people with kindness and forgiveness: not being cruel or harsh; having or showing mercy; giving relief from the suffering that people are going through. Inasmuch as God wants us to be just, He also demands from us to be merciful when it comes to forgiveness. Before Jesus Christ was taken into heaven, He gave us the commission to go into the world and teach the world concerning everything He had commanded us. It is very important for us to take note of all the words of Jesus Christ. This will relieve us from any condemnation in the day of judgement. One of the commandments of Jesus Christ is that we should be merciful to all people as the Father is.
In the initial stage of Jesus Christ’s sermon delivery in Luke 6:27, He made mention of the love we should show towards our enemies. Today, we are seeing the word ‘enemy’ from the wrong perspective. When people rebuke, correct or instruct us, we tag them as ‘enemies.’ When people prevent us from doing the evil things we want to do, we tag them as ‘enemies.’ When people offend and break our hearts, we tag them as ‘enemies.’ It is not the person who is the enemy, but there is an underlying cause for that action but we fail to tackle that. Because many people are carnal, they tackle situations of offences with unforgiveness not knowing the spiritual consequence of such.
The root enemy of all offences is the devil, who is the cause of all sins (1 Peter 5:8). It is him who influences people to do evil (Acts 13:10) so they can be God’s enemies. Today, there are many relationships that have broken down, just because of bitterness, grudges, or unforgiveness against one another, but the shocking part is that many of these people call themselves Christians. I wonder! We need to note that, if we sin against one another whom we tag as enemies, we are indirectly sinning against God (Genesis 20:6; 39:9). As a believer, you have to show kindness and compassion towards one another. You have to be lenient towards the wrongs people do against you.
That is why Jesus Christ told us to forgive one another 539 times a day. Who can someone offend him or her 539 times a day? How many times has God forgiven you for the wrongs you have done? When God rains or shines, He knows very well that sinners will benefit too, yet He still rains or shines. He still gives us life every day. He looks after, provides, and guides us. Why can’t we extend this mercy towards one another? When you are kind and forgiving, it does not mean you are weak or stupid. It is wisdom to follow the footsteps of God the Father who was first merciful to us by giving us His Son Jesus Christ – who too was merciful to us (first God’s enemies) for dying in our place.
•| Prayer Diary |•
¹Lift up prayers to show compassion or forbearance towards people who offend you. ²Lift up prayers for fortunate circumstances as the Lord brings them through people you have been merciful towards. ³Lift up prayers for compassionate treatment of those who are in distress. ⁴Lift up prayers for the mercy of God to locate the elect who are not yet in the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ.
Quote
“We often want God to be merciful to us and forgive us for our sins but are we merciful and forgiving towards others?”
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Jeremiah Chapters 9-11
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© 2021 David Abankwah
David Abankwah 